Once again, I can't tell you enough about how thankful I am for each one of you and the prayers and/or support that you're providing for my sister, brother-in-law, two nieces and my parents.
When I go for my nightly visit, after work, I'm not only doing my best to be calm and to engage whoever is there at the moment (to take their mind a little off of things), but to also listen acutely enough to capture a synopsis of the day to share with all of you.
First of all, these are some things that we can praise God for:
1. My sister has a strong heart. She does not have to have a cardiologist in the active mix at this time.
2. Her urine output has been strong and consistent (I personally witnessed the male nurse dumping almost a full bottle in the toilet ... OK, maybe a little "tmi") and signaling that her kidneys are functioning normally.
3. Her liver is also functioning normally at this time.
As organ failure can be a risk with what she is going through right now, these are things that we can continue to ask God to remain strong until she gets completely well.
The pulmonary doctor is lead and my Dad felt as if he's been more upbeat today than he has been in the last two days.
He is somebody that my Dad is very comfortable with in that he feels that he is very compassioniate and has even hugged my Mom and put his hand on my brother-in-law's shoulder and said that he knows that he hasn't always been bringing the best hoped for news at times.
We can be thankful for this as well as excellent nursing and other professional care, such as the respiratory care staff, around the clock. They've also been very, very compassionate, friendly and communicative as to what they're doing to my sister at all times.
I watched one nurse literally take what closely resembled a toothbrush and move it around the tube that is in my sister's mouth and work it around to - in essence - brush her teeth (although I'm sure there was something more significant that they were doing.) It was a thankless, yet incredible job that they're doing.
When I arrived at about 8:15 p.m. earlier this evening, her "breaths per minute" number was down to 16 - a certain answer to prayer, but, of course, it is only one piece of the puzzle. (It later went up after they did something to her that I'll describe below.)
The reason that the doctor wanted to (and wants to) do the CT scan I learned is because he wants to make sure that he isn't missing anything.
The challenge has been, though, that when they have lowered my sister's bed back to where she is completely flat on her back -- as she would need to be to go into a CT tube -- her vitals have started to pull out of line (i.e. heart rate increases to in between 120-130 bpm) and her oxygen saturation has gone down.
Before they came up with a new paralytic (rocuronium, I believe), they had been turning her on her sides every six hours in an effort to increase her oxygenation levels.
However, in an effort to get her body to relax, they stopped doing this.
But in an effort to improve her lung function and to benefit in the removal of any retained secretions in her lungs, they have begun to use what's known as a Vest Airway Clearance System. Click here to read more about it.
A belt is placed around her midsection and the machine blows air through the belt to literally shake her body in an attempt to dislodge mucus from the bronchial walls, and mobilize secretions and mucus to larger airways so it can be suctioned out, in my sister's case.
Her body didn't respond to it too well earlier today and she lasted six (6) minutes - out of 10 -- as her heart rate got to 130 bpm and her oxygen saturation level dropped to 85%.
It's as if her body doesn't want to let it do anything that is good for it! :-)
Certainly something that we can continue to pray about, I think.
The flu patients who have been in the MICU where she's at - according to a couple of the nurses who have been caring for her - have been on a path of about 12-14 days before they've started to turn the corner and we are into the 10th day as of late this evening.
Even though you may feel like you've been praying the same each day, please continue to do so.
I put my sister's situation on KSBJ's Prayer Works site - without any specific identifying name references - and I had five (5) people who took the time to click on a link to send a message to say that they prayed for my sister and our families. I'm thankful to each one of those who took that time to ask God to heal her and care for those that loved her dearly.
And thank you again for the family who is taking care of my two nieces while my brother-in-law is having to work. I don't want to draw attention to them by name, but a continued "thank you".
I know that my youngest niece is going to be able to get out of town for the weekend and compete in her cheerleading competition as she was able to make practice this week, thanks to a friend of my sister who has three girls that will be competing as well.
And I just want to say how proud I am of my oldest niece as she deals with what her Mom is going through during this challenging time.
They both are talented young ladies of whom their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and family are very, very proud of.
Please continue to pray for my parents. My Dad's faith is being severely tested and, of course, my Mom's heart just seems to break - as any mother's would.
And for my brother-in-law. He just keeps getting it all done - without too much sleep. A good man.
Thanks for listening and continuing to pray and asking for God's perfect will in this situation.
Jon
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
A Dash of Stubbornness; January 14, 2014
If you've ever met a Walk, you know that there's a tendency of stubbornness that exists in each and every one of us.
Some of us more than others and at times, it comes on as strong as can be!
My sister, right now, continues to display hers and -- we all need her to stop! :-)
As I referenced last evening, she's been trying to outwork the ventilator.
Her doctor wants her to get down to 18 breaths per minute; however, she, at times, has been as high as 28 bpm.
(When I left this evening, she was down to 21, which is as low as I've seen it since she's been in MICU.)
In an attempt to get her body to relax, the doctors have given her a paralytic.
As with many drugs (and I'm not a clinician although I work in the health care setting), there's a certain dosage or strength.
When I hadn't heard anything from my Dad today, I was slightly concerned so I was prepared for the full range of scenarios when I made it to the hospital through the middle of the evening (and after the MICU was opened back up to visitors).
What I learned was too complex to put into a text message.
When the doctor visited this morning, it was determined that the paralytic that was being used wasn't strong enough to paralyze her enough to get her breaths per minute down. (My physician friends will correct me - please - if I don't get this explained exactly correct.)
The way my Dad explained it: the clinicians were stumped.
He indicated that they had a conference with the critical care pharmacist and they literally came up with a concoction of two drugs that weren't in the hospital's formulary and were doing manual calculations to determine how much they would be able to give her.
I may offend here, but it is not my intention to. If I do, I sincerely apologize.
If you're a believer in and a follower of Christ, this - to me - is evidence that God is in control of the situation - and He wants us to all completely put our trust in Him.
The nurses that I have encountered at the facility that my sister is in do a very good job in communicating what they're doing.
I told the nurse that was in her room caring for her before I left that I was trusting her 100%.
The way I see it: I have to (unless something, of course, is so blatantly obvious that doesn't make sense) as I don't have their chosen field of training, experience and passion to care for others.
We were told early on that this was going to be a long process.
We would ask that you pray - in addition for the doctors and nurses to be able to perform their duties according to their training and expertise -- specifically for my sister's body to rest to allow her breaths per minute to get to a point and remain stable so the options to help get her well have less potential risk.
I don't remember the specific need for a CT scan, but there's a hesitancy to even transfer her one floor lower because her body needs to be more at rest.
A process known as ECMO - which I know recently was instrumental in saving the life of a young girl in our area who contracted the pneumonia as a result of H1N1 - has been put on the table as a potential option.
However, since the facility doesn't have the machine needed for this procedure (although it has certified clinicians in the process), a transfer downtown would be necessary -- and there's already a waiting list to get that care with the use of the device.
Plus a transfer to another facility is a great challenge if there's concern of going one floor down in the same building.
My father did learn through an administrative friend of ours that there's another facility in town that have these devices, but they aren't keen on renting them and would desire the patient (and the revenue associated with them).
I share this to guide your prayers, not to flame that facility in comments, etc.
I would ask that you respect my reason for sharing this with you - and refrain from any public rebuke in social media. (Thank you.)
A friend of my sister and brother-in-law was spending the night tonight in my sister's room to give my parents and brother-in-law a chance to rest - even though my brother-in-law has had to return to work (but at least he's been able to arrange to be local as opposed to being on the road.)
We appreciate her willingness to do so and there are other offers to do the same. And we thank you for that.
Thank you again for all of your prayers and those of you who have reached out and made yourself available to our families.
We greatly appreciate your generosity, kindness, love, concern and care for my sister, brother-in-law, their two daughters (my two nieces) and my parents.
Jon
Some of us more than others and at times, it comes on as strong as can be!
My sister, right now, continues to display hers and -- we all need her to stop! :-)
As I referenced last evening, she's been trying to outwork the ventilator.
Her doctor wants her to get down to 18 breaths per minute; however, she, at times, has been as high as 28 bpm.
(When I left this evening, she was down to 21, which is as low as I've seen it since she's been in MICU.)
In an attempt to get her body to relax, the doctors have given her a paralytic.
As with many drugs (and I'm not a clinician although I work in the health care setting), there's a certain dosage or strength.
When I hadn't heard anything from my Dad today, I was slightly concerned so I was prepared for the full range of scenarios when I made it to the hospital through the middle of the evening (and after the MICU was opened back up to visitors).
What I learned was too complex to put into a text message.
When the doctor visited this morning, it was determined that the paralytic that was being used wasn't strong enough to paralyze her enough to get her breaths per minute down. (My physician friends will correct me - please - if I don't get this explained exactly correct.)
The way my Dad explained it: the clinicians were stumped.
He indicated that they had a conference with the critical care pharmacist and they literally came up with a concoction of two drugs that weren't in the hospital's formulary and were doing manual calculations to determine how much they would be able to give her.
I may offend here, but it is not my intention to. If I do, I sincerely apologize.
If you're a believer in and a follower of Christ, this - to me - is evidence that God is in control of the situation - and He wants us to all completely put our trust in Him.
The nurses that I have encountered at the facility that my sister is in do a very good job in communicating what they're doing.
I told the nurse that was in her room caring for her before I left that I was trusting her 100%.
The way I see it: I have to (unless something, of course, is so blatantly obvious that doesn't make sense) as I don't have their chosen field of training, experience and passion to care for others.
We were told early on that this was going to be a long process.
We would ask that you pray - in addition for the doctors and nurses to be able to perform their duties according to their training and expertise -- specifically for my sister's body to rest to allow her breaths per minute to get to a point and remain stable so the options to help get her well have less potential risk.
I don't remember the specific need for a CT scan, but there's a hesitancy to even transfer her one floor lower because her body needs to be more at rest.
A process known as ECMO - which I know recently was instrumental in saving the life of a young girl in our area who contracted the pneumonia as a result of H1N1 - has been put on the table as a potential option.
However, since the facility doesn't have the machine needed for this procedure (although it has certified clinicians in the process), a transfer downtown would be necessary -- and there's already a waiting list to get that care with the use of the device.
Plus a transfer to another facility is a great challenge if there's concern of going one floor down in the same building.
My father did learn through an administrative friend of ours that there's another facility in town that have these devices, but they aren't keen on renting them and would desire the patient (and the revenue associated with them).
I share this to guide your prayers, not to flame that facility in comments, etc.
I would ask that you respect my reason for sharing this with you - and refrain from any public rebuke in social media. (Thank you.)
A friend of my sister and brother-in-law was spending the night tonight in my sister's room to give my parents and brother-in-law a chance to rest - even though my brother-in-law has had to return to work (but at least he's been able to arrange to be local as opposed to being on the road.)
We appreciate her willingness to do so and there are other offers to do the same. And we thank you for that.
Thank you again for all of your prayers and those of you who have reached out and made yourself available to our families.
We greatly appreciate your generosity, kindness, love, concern and care for my sister, brother-in-law, their two daughters (my two nieces) and my parents.
Jon
Monday, January 13, 2014
My Sister's Medical Update; January 13, 2014
Thank you again for each and every one of you who has been praying for my sister - who was admitted to the hospital on Sunday, Jan. 5 with the pneumonia and moved to MICU the following evening, her husband and two daughters and my parents.
As you can imagine, it has been a challenging time for all.
I haven't been providing updates the last couple of days because I wanted to respect individual's news feeds and the changes - at time - in her condition have been minute and would have taken a lot of specific, detailed explanation to communicate.
The best thing to pass along then became, "Please continue to pray for all involved."
As a man and as my sister's brother, I want to fix things, but in this situation I can't. Nor can anybody that's reading this and not involved in her clinical care.
I have to exercise my faith and place my trust in God, the doctors and nurses who are providing her care and the drugs and equipment that are being used - in the right combination and dosages - to help her get well.
As my brother-in-law and I spoke in her room on Sunday evening, it is like watching a shell game in play; however, a delicate life -- one that is loved by many -- hangs in the balance.
She had slowly been making baby steps, but had some small setbacks on Sunday and Monday mornings.
Her body has been trying to outbreath the ventilator, which has numerical measures on how hard she and the machine is working. It has always been a gap of about seven (7) or eight (8). When I left this evening, it was a range of two to three.
They've been adjusting her paralytic to try to allow her body to rest to keep it from trying to outwork the machine.
Yet, an applied positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) of 14 is much higher than the doctors would like this at this point in the process. It had been as low as 10 last evening; however, it is desired to get to five (5) or below.
I would go into more details, but some would be inclined to do a little reading and ask questions -- more than likely the same that we're asking the doctors as far as the future direction and options in her care.
However, I think it is safe to say that those options are varied and run the gamut.
Some aren't easy to think about, let alone discuss.
I continue to express my appreciation of and pride in how my brother-in-law is handling everything.
It is very, very hard on him, yet he is doing it well - and, at times, with little sleep.
His two girls - my two nieces - are staying with friends who recently moved back to Texas in the last two to three months. They have three girls of their own.
My family appreciates what they are doing to support my sister's family.
It is also tough to see the stress that it is putting on my parents.
When I got the initial call last Tuesday, my Dad - the Marine - was as rattled as I've ever heard him in my 47 years of life -- even with him having gone through as many back procedures as he has over the years.
Yet I teared up this evening as I saw him tell my sister "Good night" for the evening -- and that he loved her.
And we've, unfortunately, in the midst of this situation, have heard pieces of misinformation out and about as well as one vile post -- on a message board, reportedly -- that simply has to be left with God to deal with.
Knowing that you're praying for our families and you allowing me to share with you this information has allowed me to be calm and collected to support my brother-in-law, nieces and parents where and when necessary.
Please trust me that our families covet your prayers and that God will be in complete control of the entire situation.
Thank you for allowing me to share -- and thank you for being a part of my family's life.
Jon
As you can imagine, it has been a challenging time for all.
I haven't been providing updates the last couple of days because I wanted to respect individual's news feeds and the changes - at time - in her condition have been minute and would have taken a lot of specific, detailed explanation to communicate.
The best thing to pass along then became, "Please continue to pray for all involved."
As a man and as my sister's brother, I want to fix things, but in this situation I can't. Nor can anybody that's reading this and not involved in her clinical care.
I have to exercise my faith and place my trust in God, the doctors and nurses who are providing her care and the drugs and equipment that are being used - in the right combination and dosages - to help her get well.
As my brother-in-law and I spoke in her room on Sunday evening, it is like watching a shell game in play; however, a delicate life -- one that is loved by many -- hangs in the balance.
She had slowly been making baby steps, but had some small setbacks on Sunday and Monday mornings.
Her body has been trying to outbreath the ventilator, which has numerical measures on how hard she and the machine is working. It has always been a gap of about seven (7) or eight (8). When I left this evening, it was a range of two to three.
They've been adjusting her paralytic to try to allow her body to rest to keep it from trying to outwork the machine.
Yet, an applied positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) of 14 is much higher than the doctors would like this at this point in the process. It had been as low as 10 last evening; however, it is desired to get to five (5) or below.
I would go into more details, but some would be inclined to do a little reading and ask questions -- more than likely the same that we're asking the doctors as far as the future direction and options in her care.
However, I think it is safe to say that those options are varied and run the gamut.
Some aren't easy to think about, let alone discuss.
I continue to express my appreciation of and pride in how my brother-in-law is handling everything.
It is very, very hard on him, yet he is doing it well - and, at times, with little sleep.
His two girls - my two nieces - are staying with friends who recently moved back to Texas in the last two to three months. They have three girls of their own.
My family appreciates what they are doing to support my sister's family.
It is also tough to see the stress that it is putting on my parents.
When I got the initial call last Tuesday, my Dad - the Marine - was as rattled as I've ever heard him in my 47 years of life -- even with him having gone through as many back procedures as he has over the years.
Yet I teared up this evening as I saw him tell my sister "Good night" for the evening -- and that he loved her.
And we've, unfortunately, in the midst of this situation, have heard pieces of misinformation out and about as well as one vile post -- on a message board, reportedly -- that simply has to be left with God to deal with.
Knowing that you're praying for our families and you allowing me to share with you this information has allowed me to be calm and collected to support my brother-in-law, nieces and parents where and when necessary.
Please trust me that our families covet your prayers and that God will be in complete control of the entire situation.
Thank you for allowing me to share -- and thank you for being a part of my family's life.
Jon
Monday, January 6, 2014
Birthday Recap; January 6, 2014
47. I'm sure glad I don't feel it.
Yesterday was a really nice day, with the exception of learning that my sister needed to be admitted to the hospital for pneumonia.
My brother-in-law was five (5) hours away hunting, getting away from a busy, stressful time at his place of employment, and my Mom had to go help her and take her to a free-standing ER clinic first and then to the hospital.
Despite that, Waverly and I had a chance to spend the day doing things that we've grown to enjoy doing over the years.
It started with breakfast at The Egg & I in Shenandoah, our local favorite. We have a couple of favorites in Lynchburg - especially Market at Main - when I go and visit her at college.
She went to choir practice and Sunday School while I went home and worked on a few things and then we were both in church together.
It is always an incredible joy and source of pride and thankfulness to watch her worship God while singing as part of the praise and worship team.
With my Dad engaging our guest speaker, Dr. Jerry Thorpe, that she attended Liberty University before she got out of Sunday School, he took the opportunity to introduce himself to her before the service - and all of us learned that Dr. Thorpe is on Liberty's Board of Trustees' Seminary Committee with co-founder Dr. Elmer Towns.
I went to the gym to workout for an hour and completed an errand before both of us went to the monthly Sunday Night 5K, hosted by The Woodlands Running Club (nee Bill Dwyer) at Barbara Bush Elementary.
These 3.1 miles would replace those that she has ru every year with me since 2007 at the end of the Chevron Houston Marathon. If I toe the line and make it that far, I will certainly miss her not being there waiting for me.
We decided just to run the race nice and easy, but we also wanted to make sure we finished ahead of Seven Hills Running Club legend Ken Johnson, who shares a birthdate with Waverly and just finished his 100th marathon on New Year's Day.
Waverly ran nice and steady and went 21:28.42 through the first two miles - a 10:44 pace.
Even though she needed to take quick blows four or five times, and not having done any cardio in about three weeks, she delivered a PR time of 33:41.27 -- 37 seconds better than the race (Poplar Forest 5K; 34:18) we ran together in Lynchburg on Saturday, October 12.
It represented a pace of 10:50 per mile, which is in between the 10:34 per mile she ran on Thanksgiving Day for five miles (her fastest pace ever at any distance) and the 11:02 per mile of her previous 5K best.
It is really fun to see her more through an improved fitness stage. She enjoys running around campus while she's at school, just to get out of her dorm room and enjoy the beauty of the commonwealth of Virginia.
We went home, got cleaned up and then had dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, a semi-expensive favorite of ours in The Woodlands. (Well, semi-expensive if you have the cheesecake, but it was my birthday.)
I enjoy having the time to discuss life with her and we talked more about some of her goals for the next three years as she wants to move into Student Leadership next year and serve as a Prayer Group Leader. Then she would like to become a Resident Assistant (RA) in her final two years.
It is great to see her set her sights on actions which will serve and meet the needs of others in their day-to-day and spiritual lives.
When we made it back to the house, she gave me a card, a Chris Tomlin CD (one further back then his most current "Burning Lights" release) and a calendar - that I have hanging in the kitchen area - where she culled together photographs that both took a look back at the past year and also looked forward to the year ahead.
I'm thankful to have her plans to travel back for Spring Break already taken care of as well as a visit from me the weekend of February 22-23 and then for her Mom to fly up on Wednesday, May 7 to help her drive home for the summer.
Forever how long she's going to be home, that is.
She wants to make a return trip to Africa (Kenya and Tanzania) in late May and early June followed by six weeks of working in church youth camps all over the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.
Am excited to watch her set out to achieve it.
All in all, it was hard to top a day like that.
The clutter was pruned away. Something I've been trying to do each and every day, and more and more, I've been succeeding. And, for that, I'm thankful.
I heard from lots of friends on the phone, in person, via text messages, Twitter and Facebook who wished me "Happy Birthday". Each one, even those that came early, was greatly appreciated - and reminds me how fortunate I am.
There were one or two that I wished I would have heard from, but there's always next year, right?
Yesterday was a really nice day, with the exception of learning that my sister needed to be admitted to the hospital for pneumonia.
My brother-in-law was five (5) hours away hunting, getting away from a busy, stressful time at his place of employment, and my Mom had to go help her and take her to a free-standing ER clinic first and then to the hospital.
Despite that, Waverly and I had a chance to spend the day doing things that we've grown to enjoy doing over the years.
It started with breakfast at The Egg & I in Shenandoah, our local favorite. We have a couple of favorites in Lynchburg - especially Market at Main - when I go and visit her at college.
She went to choir practice and Sunday School while I went home and worked on a few things and then we were both in church together.
It is always an incredible joy and source of pride and thankfulness to watch her worship God while singing as part of the praise and worship team.
With my Dad engaging our guest speaker, Dr. Jerry Thorpe, that she attended Liberty University before she got out of Sunday School, he took the opportunity to introduce himself to her before the service - and all of us learned that Dr. Thorpe is on Liberty's Board of Trustees' Seminary Committee with co-founder Dr. Elmer Towns.
I went to the gym to workout for an hour and completed an errand before both of us went to the monthly Sunday Night 5K, hosted by The Woodlands Running Club (nee Bill Dwyer) at Barbara Bush Elementary.
These 3.1 miles would replace those that she has ru every year with me since 2007 at the end of the Chevron Houston Marathon. If I toe the line and make it that far, I will certainly miss her not being there waiting for me.
We decided just to run the race nice and easy, but we also wanted to make sure we finished ahead of Seven Hills Running Club legend Ken Johnson, who shares a birthdate with Waverly and just finished his 100th marathon on New Year's Day.
Waverly ran nice and steady and went 21:28.42 through the first two miles - a 10:44 pace.
Even though she needed to take quick blows four or five times, and not having done any cardio in about three weeks, she delivered a PR time of 33:41.27 -- 37 seconds better than the race (Poplar Forest 5K; 34:18) we ran together in Lynchburg on Saturday, October 12.
It represented a pace of 10:50 per mile, which is in between the 10:34 per mile she ran on Thanksgiving Day for five miles (her fastest pace ever at any distance) and the 11:02 per mile of her previous 5K best.
It is really fun to see her more through an improved fitness stage. She enjoys running around campus while she's at school, just to get out of her dorm room and enjoy the beauty of the commonwealth of Virginia.
We went home, got cleaned up and then had dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, a semi-expensive favorite of ours in The Woodlands. (Well, semi-expensive if you have the cheesecake, but it was my birthday.)
I enjoy having the time to discuss life with her and we talked more about some of her goals for the next three years as she wants to move into Student Leadership next year and serve as a Prayer Group Leader. Then she would like to become a Resident Assistant (RA) in her final two years.
It is great to see her set her sights on actions which will serve and meet the needs of others in their day-to-day and spiritual lives.
When we made it back to the house, she gave me a card, a Chris Tomlin CD (one further back then his most current "Burning Lights" release) and a calendar - that I have hanging in the kitchen area - where she culled together photographs that both took a look back at the past year and also looked forward to the year ahead.
I'm thankful to have her plans to travel back for Spring Break already taken care of as well as a visit from me the weekend of February 22-23 and then for her Mom to fly up on Wednesday, May 7 to help her drive home for the summer.
Forever how long she's going to be home, that is.
She wants to make a return trip to Africa (Kenya and Tanzania) in late May and early June followed by six weeks of working in church youth camps all over the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.
Am excited to watch her set out to achieve it.
All in all, it was hard to top a day like that.
The clutter was pruned away. Something I've been trying to do each and every day, and more and more, I've been succeeding. And, for that, I'm thankful.
I heard from lots of friends on the phone, in person, via text messages, Twitter and Facebook who wished me "Happy Birthday". Each one, even those that came early, was greatly appreciated - and reminds me how fortunate I am.
There were one or two that I wished I would have heard from, but there's always next year, right?
Saturday, December 21, 2013
"Balance", by Nik Wallenda with David Ritz
I said at the beginning of this year that I wanted to read more.
That’s kind of been an epic fail; however, it isn’t something to be totally depressed over either.
The last time that I bought a book at an airport book store was last summer (2012) in Anchorage, Alaska.
Sure, I’ve heard of things such as Amazon.com and BN.com, but I just thought it would be cool to buy a book – to read on the plane – on something that was unique that happened in that region.
That book was titled, “The Spill”, and was about the Exxon Valdez oil spill from March 1989.
(As a side note, I’ve always been a current events, history, sports and biography type of bookreader.)
Last Friday, December 12, I picked up Nik Wallenda’s “Balance: A Story of Faith, Family and Life on the Line” at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
I was flying to Raleigh-Durham where Waverly met me to help her drive home from her first semester at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.
I had quickly forgotten watching Wallenda’s walk across a gorge near the Grand Canyon online less than six months ago. (If you read the Wikipedia entry on Wallenda, you’ll see there’s a little bit of a debate.)
There’s a certain amount of excellent history in the book of Wallenda’s famous family in the circus and with high-wire performances.
It wasn’t enough to bore you, and there was a certain period of time in the family’s history that the life of the circus caused many personal problems in the lives of Nik’s grandparents and great-grandparents.
Yet beyond the great Wallenda name, family itself is clearly portrayed as being tantamount to the most recent Wallenda, Nik.
It is an interesting, yet breezy read, especially relating to his relationship with his wife, Erendira.
It openly speaks about how a controlling spirit was a major challenge in their marriage at one point.
And through it, he shared something that resonated with me about my faith.
He wrote, “We tell people that we’re born-again Christians, and we are. But being born-again isn’t a one-time thing. We’re continually being reborn with new insights about our struggles and behavior. God is always revealing Himself to us, always opening windows and doors that shed new light.”
I believe this, but it is often hard to articulate this to people that I know this succinctly.
He also talked a lot about ego. Obviously, to accomplish all that he has, his comes in mega-doses compared to mine.
I really, really either don’t have much of one myself or I suppress it very well. Maybe a little of both.
There are things that I enjoy doing well – writing and announcing, among other things – and for me to do them, there’s a certain amount of ego that I must possess to accomplish them.
Yet, to over-sell or over-hype myself are just things that I won’t do – and I’m turned off by people who do. That, to me, is an unhealthy ego.
As far as race announcing goes, for example, I receive many, many kind compliments on my abilities and God-given talent of knowing what to say right at the right time.
Wallenda addressed it this way: “My ego-driven vanity is not going to disappear. I can’t wish it away and I can’t entirely pray it away. But can I accept it without indulging it? Can I say, “Hey, I’m a human being. Human beings, mired in insecurity and assaulted by uncertainty, look for all sorts of validation. There’s nothing wrong with it – as long as I don’t ego-trip myself to a spiritual death; as long as I realize that my spiritual growth, set against my high-profile career, is always going to be a work in progress; as long I continue to do that spiritual work.”
Well, I don’t have a high-profile career. And all of my announcing gigs aren’t necessarily high profile. Maybe to the event producers, they are.
Actually, I won’t take many of them if offered. I have a certain style that I like and there are certain roles that I believe that I would have to compromise it – and I won’t do that.
I just like to say this, “I like to think that I’m in the top ten in Texas.”
Here’s the catch, though: It is just that there might only be a little more than 10 that do as much as I do.
Beyond that, Wallenda’s book, ghost written by David Ritz, is just a good enjoyable read of a little more than 200 pages – recapping an interesting, yet non-drama filled life -- that can be tackled in a couple of hours.
Let me know if you’d like to borrow it. - Jon
That’s kind of been an epic fail; however, it isn’t something to be totally depressed over either.
The last time that I bought a book at an airport book store was last summer (2012) in Anchorage, Alaska.
Sure, I’ve heard of things such as Amazon.com and BN.com, but I just thought it would be cool to buy a book – to read on the plane – on something that was unique that happened in that region.
That book was titled, “The Spill”, and was about the Exxon Valdez oil spill from March 1989.
(As a side note, I’ve always been a current events, history, sports and biography type of bookreader.)
Last Friday, December 12, I picked up Nik Wallenda’s “Balance: A Story of Faith, Family and Life on the Line” at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
I had quickly forgotten watching Wallenda’s walk across a gorge near the Grand Canyon online less than six months ago. (If you read the Wikipedia entry on Wallenda, you’ll see there’s a little bit of a debate.)
There’s a certain amount of excellent history in the book of Wallenda’s famous family in the circus and with high-wire performances.
It wasn’t enough to bore you, and there was a certain period of time in the family’s history that the life of the circus caused many personal problems in the lives of Nik’s grandparents and great-grandparents.
Yet beyond the great Wallenda name, family itself is clearly portrayed as being tantamount to the most recent Wallenda, Nik.
It is an interesting, yet breezy read, especially relating to his relationship with his wife, Erendira.
It openly speaks about how a controlling spirit was a major challenge in their marriage at one point.
And through it, he shared something that resonated with me about my faith.
He wrote, “We tell people that we’re born-again Christians, and we are. But being born-again isn’t a one-time thing. We’re continually being reborn with new insights about our struggles and behavior. God is always revealing Himself to us, always opening windows and doors that shed new light.”
I believe this, but it is often hard to articulate this to people that I know this succinctly.
He also talked a lot about ego. Obviously, to accomplish all that he has, his comes in mega-doses compared to mine.
I really, really either don’t have much of one myself or I suppress it very well. Maybe a little of both.
There are things that I enjoy doing well – writing and announcing, among other things – and for me to do them, there’s a certain amount of ego that I must possess to accomplish them.
Yet, to over-sell or over-hype myself are just things that I won’t do – and I’m turned off by people who do. That, to me, is an unhealthy ego.
As far as race announcing goes, for example, I receive many, many kind compliments on my abilities and God-given talent of knowing what to say right at the right time.
Wallenda addressed it this way: “My ego-driven vanity is not going to disappear. I can’t wish it away and I can’t entirely pray it away. But can I accept it without indulging it? Can I say, “Hey, I’m a human being. Human beings, mired in insecurity and assaulted by uncertainty, look for all sorts of validation. There’s nothing wrong with it – as long as I don’t ego-trip myself to a spiritual death; as long as I realize that my spiritual growth, set against my high-profile career, is always going to be a work in progress; as long I continue to do that spiritual work.”
Well, I don’t have a high-profile career. And all of my announcing gigs aren’t necessarily high profile. Maybe to the event producers, they are.
Actually, I won’t take many of them if offered. I have a certain style that I like and there are certain roles that I believe that I would have to compromise it – and I won’t do that.
I just like to say this, “I like to think that I’m in the top ten in Texas.”
Here’s the catch, though: It is just that there might only be a little more than 10 that do as much as I do.
Beyond that, Wallenda’s book, ghost written by David Ritz, is just a good enjoyable read of a little more than 200 pages – recapping an interesting, yet non-drama filled life -- that can be tackled in a couple of hours.
Let me know if you’d like to borrow it. - Jon
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
A Drive Well-Taken; December 10, 2013
Anybody that really knows me – and probably most casual observers too – know how much that I enjoy the chances that I get to spend time with my daughter.
Really, though, what parent doesn’t?
Yes, I know. Every parent-child relationship out there isn’t what I’ve been blessed with. And I’m very thankful for what I have. Every single day.
In a couple of days, I get the opportunity to help my daughter drive home after she finishes today her first semester in college – and away from home.
I was able to make it there twice to see her during the semester and, of course, she came home for Thanksgiving.
By our summer vacation standards, this will be a short drive. Just 17-18 hours.
I also know that some of you reading this would rather have a root canal than to be in a car for that length of time.
We’ve had some epic – not to use a recently overused word by an area marathon race director – drives over the years. Here are some that readily come to mind:
1. Alaska (Summer 2012; Anchorage to Fairbanks; Denali Highway – Paxson to Cantwell; Seward Highway)
2. Canada (Summer 2013; Pittsburgh to Erie to Toronto to Ottawa to Montreal to central Pennylsvania)
3. Hawaii (Summer 2011; All over the island of Kona.)
4. St. Louis to Las Vegas (Summer 2002: Five state capitals in five days. Waverly, MO and Waverly, NE to boot.)
5. Utah, Montana and Idaho (Summer 2010: Glacier National Park.)
6. New York, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts (Summer 2004)
7. California – San Francisco and Los Angeles (Summer 2008)
8. Monticello, Mount Vernon, Washington Monuments and Pennslyvania (Spring Break 2004)
I’m sure I’ve missed a few notable ones, but these are some of the ones that standout the most.
With the exception of Hawaii, I’m pretty positive that these were all a minimum of 1,000 miles in the car within a week’s time (or 9 days – a bookend of weekends – at the most).
She’s already promised that she would set a new standard in our travels: that she would probably talk my ear off. And, honestly, I’m looking forward to every minute, every word.
We’ve talked “at least” once a week since she’s been away at school, typically every Sunday evening.
The conversations are usually anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and they replace the usual weekly dinners that we would have out, especially the year that I was working week-in and week-out in California.
Therefore, I know that the conversation isn’t one that will include things that need to be solved – or needs input – immediately.
Rather I expect it to be one that has the chance to be transformative for one or both of us.
I think I learn a lot about myself as a parent and especially as my role in that assignment changes more to being a coach than the enforcer to boundaries which are set.
I have different inputs and influences to evaluate now and realize too that she has grown (incredibly, I might add) as a young woman – especially being on her own for much of the last four months.
There were some things that I could have done better as a father, but some of those inputs to do those I didn’t specifically have in my toolbox – and I wasn’t encouraged or bold enough to develop them.
However, I tried to make up for that in the area of time – and unconditional love.
And I did the best job that I could – and doing so genuinely, without smothering or being a helicopter parent.
What is the one thing, starting today, that you can set out to do to create a lasting memory of with your child?
Maybe even something that really isn’t tangible at all.
If you’re reading this, please keep us in your prayers on Friday and Saturday as we drive back to Texas so Waverly can enjoy her Christmas and Holiday break and completely recharge for the Spring semester at Liberty University in January.
Really, though, what parent doesn’t?
Yes, I know. Every parent-child relationship out there isn’t what I’ve been blessed with. And I’m very thankful for what I have. Every single day.
In a couple of days, I get the opportunity to help my daughter drive home after she finishes today her first semester in college – and away from home.
I was able to make it there twice to see her during the semester and, of course, she came home for Thanksgiving.
By our summer vacation standards, this will be a short drive. Just 17-18 hours.
I also know that some of you reading this would rather have a root canal than to be in a car for that length of time.
We’ve had some epic – not to use a recently overused word by an area marathon race director – drives over the years. Here are some that readily come to mind:
1. Alaska (Summer 2012; Anchorage to Fairbanks; Denali Highway – Paxson to Cantwell; Seward Highway)
2. Canada (Summer 2013; Pittsburgh to Erie to Toronto to Ottawa to Montreal to central Pennylsvania)
3. Hawaii (Summer 2011; All over the island of Kona.)
4. St. Louis to Las Vegas (Summer 2002: Five state capitals in five days. Waverly, MO and Waverly, NE to boot.)
5. Utah, Montana and Idaho (Summer 2010: Glacier National Park.)
6. New York, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts (Summer 2004)
7. California – San Francisco and Los Angeles (Summer 2008)
8. Monticello, Mount Vernon, Washington Monuments and Pennslyvania (Spring Break 2004)
I’m sure I’ve missed a few notable ones, but these are some of the ones that standout the most.
With the exception of Hawaii, I’m pretty positive that these were all a minimum of 1,000 miles in the car within a week’s time (or 9 days – a bookend of weekends – at the most).
She’s already promised that she would set a new standard in our travels: that she would probably talk my ear off. And, honestly, I’m looking forward to every minute, every word.
We’ve talked “at least” once a week since she’s been away at school, typically every Sunday evening.
The conversations are usually anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and they replace the usual weekly dinners that we would have out, especially the year that I was working week-in and week-out in California.
Therefore, I know that the conversation isn’t one that will include things that need to be solved – or needs input – immediately.
Rather I expect it to be one that has the chance to be transformative for one or both of us.
I think I learn a lot about myself as a parent and especially as my role in that assignment changes more to being a coach than the enforcer to boundaries which are set.
I have different inputs and influences to evaluate now and realize too that she has grown (incredibly, I might add) as a young woman – especially being on her own for much of the last four months.
There were some things that I could have done better as a father, but some of those inputs to do those I didn’t specifically have in my toolbox – and I wasn’t encouraged or bold enough to develop them.
However, I tried to make up for that in the area of time – and unconditional love.
And I did the best job that I could – and doing so genuinely, without smothering or being a helicopter parent.
What is the one thing, starting today, that you can set out to do to create a lasting memory of with your child?
Maybe even something that really isn’t tangible at all.
If you’re reading this, please keep us in your prayers on Friday and Saturday as we drive back to Texas so Waverly can enjoy her Christmas and Holiday break and completely recharge for the Spring semester at Liberty University in January.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Random, Late Night Thoughts; October 16-17, 2013
My mind is going 180 miles a minute. How do I slow it down? I get my thoughts out on paper (or online).
I’m kind of a walking paradox. I’m “out here”, but I like – no, I enjoy -- being “under the radar” at the same time.
I like being able to do things – which benefit others – that nobody knows that I’m involved in. It is because I don’t want the attention focused on me.
I’m very open, if you take the time to get to know me; however, I’m also very private and prefer that many don’t know certain things.
Not that I have anything to hide, but more so that I’m not comfortable – at all – with praise.
So where am I at tonight?
At some crossroads, I would say.
I’ve recently asked a friend to pray for me to have discernment on what “road I should walk” and to “help me find it”, as the words of a current, popular contemporary Christian music song states.
In essence, God’s perfect will for my life.
God has given me talents that I believe are pretty neat and incredible (although to some they might not be that impressive). On the surface, actually, they’re not, I suppose. Yet I want to make sure that I’m using them right – and for the right purpose.
For those that don’t have a faith that they place their trust and belief in, they wouldn’t understand that I prayed before I announced a recent race three weeks ago on a Sunday morning in Katy that I did well – not for me – but that perhaps one participant might be in need – of something - that morning of being recognized as they came to the finish line.
It has never really been about me. It has been about those people who – in road races, for example – have paid their discretionary income to participate in an activity that is of physical and emotional value to them.
When I do a high school cross country meet, such as Nike South that I did recently, it is all about the kids. All the time. I want things to be perfect for them – not me.
And if the road that I’m on isn’t the one that I’m supposed to be taking, then I ask myself what will I do to replace that void that I may have.
For as much joy as I have gained over the years in being involved in many of the endeavors I have, there has been much pain too.
That pain is NOTHING, though, compared to others that I know – or have known -- who have lost a child, spouse, relative or a close friend or have overcome disease or another tragedy in their life.
I say “have” because I have experienced the pain of losing friendships – or what I thought to be friendships. Maybe they were acquaintances, at best, that I misperceived to be friendships.
If they’re friendships, both parties go all in, right?
I have walked away from situations – taken the high road, if you will, and with great private pain (that few of my best friends have even understood) – because I just didn’t see any value in fighting out what I perceived to be a wrong approach on the other parties’ part.
Because of social media and what pops up right in front of you (without even looking for it), I steer clear of people that I consider a friend because you can see the value they place in people who I have been wronged by.
That’s a huge challenge and minefield.
And, at the same time, there are people who “window shop” and announce that they are (think “following” on Twitter), but they never engage. I admit openly that I have bumped those people from my “follow” list, especially when I encounter those people in person and they never engage in either setting.
Back to this “athletic” world that I’m currently immersed in. What do I do? Does God want me here? Is there a Kingdom-driven purpose for me to be doing what I’m doing?
Like I said, it has brought me great joy.
A run.
I get discouraged by folks whose world seems to revolve around it.
When I had a “running” blog, which was more of a “media outlet” that I updated regularly six or seven years ago, I got taken to task because I didn’t train – or do things – via the textbook.
I learned over time that those who did were seeking recognition – or credit – because they thought their approach and work was “right”, or people have deeper issues that they’re dealing with.
But some of my greatest joys have come from a simple run.
I recently got to do that twice on my recent visit this past weekend with my daughter, who is a freshman at Liberty University.
And one of them was a makeup run that we missed before her Mom and I left her there to start the semester. It is something that I prayed as the week leading up to my most recent visit that nothing would come in the way of because I didn’t want that “miss” to be “the” memory.
I had desired some “us” time the morning before we needed to leave.
All the while, I’ve been trying to teach her to plan things out and I’ve tried to also treat her like an adult. She’s earned that respect, but as a parent, I’ve also learned that sometimes it is OK that they still be a child – especially, at heart.
I had expected her to remember the plan, but the night before, at dinner, she had forgotten about it.
I was hurt. And selfish.
Here I was in what was one of the biggest challenges in her life wanting something for me.
Only because I loved her (at that moment) – and love her (now) – as much as life itself sometimes.
It caused for some hurt feelings, angst, unnecessary drama and not as perfect departure the next morning that I think we all envisioned it to be.
I was glad that God provided me the opportunity this past weekend to make up for that.
We shared a 40-minute run (20 out and 20 back) on a trail – starting from the riverfront part of downtown Lynchburg – that I wouldn’t want her running on unless she was with a group of other runners that she knew and trusted.
It was a simple, yet awesome time.
The next morning, we got to do something that we’ve done many times – and that is run a race together.
There were no expectations, I suppose. It was to be fun. And it was.
It was a race that was on the grounds of Thomas Jefferson’s family retreat called Poplar Forest.
A few weeks before, she ran a race that started and finished on Liberty’s football field. And I wasn’t able to be there. That had only happened one other time when our church put on a 5K the same day that I was announcing another event.
As I’ve done many times, I asked if they had anyone to do the National Anthem. The race production company, which was the local running store, asked the race director and they made time in their timeline for her to do so.
She stepped up, not having done so since the Fourth of July, and did a superb job singing, but then she did so running too.
She has been going out for runs a couple of times a week in the heat and on the hills of the campus. More so that she wasn’t running at night by herself, from a safety standpoint. (I was surprised, even near the campus of a Christian university, the number of young women who were running alone with headphones – oblivious, perhaps, to the world around them.)
And her efforts paid off.
She went through the first mile in 10:51.76, and the first mile wasn’t flat. It had a downhill and a couple of rolls on the way out and you got the rolls on the way back to the first mile marker.
The second mile had a nice uphill, but by the middle of it, we were on asphalt-covered streets – the best, in my mind, to run on. Especially for rhythm runners, which we both are.
She got to the second mile marker in 11:17.86 and it was then that I knew that if she could hold it together for another mile that she would be staring at a nice PR.
And she did. We covered the last 1.1 mile in 12:08.83 for a PR of 34:17! (34:18.45 on my watch, but that is because I let her cross before I did.)
She also outkicked a girl at the end that ended up a spot behind her in the same age group, making her second instead of third. And if the overall winner hadn’t been a 14-year-old, then she might had been out of a medal if she hadn’t pushed it at the end.
I feel a bit better, but I still am challenged by what do I need to be doing down the road and how do my hobbies fit in with that – if at all.
Two verses on the daily Tony Dungy “Quiet Strength” inspirational calendar sit in front of me crossing October 16 to the 17th.
October 16 – “God’s grace is all I need; His power works best in my weakness, as 2 Corinthians 12:9 says.”
October 17 – “We live in a lost and hurting world, and God wants us to get beyond ourselves, whether it’s to help hurting kids or grieving parents or artistic inmates or striving fathers.”
Get beyond ourself. Indeed. The line is still appropriate, “If there’s a road I should walk, help me find it.” I’m here. I’m trying my best. And I want to find the right road that I should be walking.
I know that I’ll probably make some mistakes along the way, but I want peace to know that I’m doing the right things, in the right way and for the right purpose.
I’m kind of a walking paradox. I’m “out here”, but I like – no, I enjoy -- being “under the radar” at the same time.
I like being able to do things – which benefit others – that nobody knows that I’m involved in. It is because I don’t want the attention focused on me.
I’m very open, if you take the time to get to know me; however, I’m also very private and prefer that many don’t know certain things.
Not that I have anything to hide, but more so that I’m not comfortable – at all – with praise.
So where am I at tonight?
At some crossroads, I would say.
I’ve recently asked a friend to pray for me to have discernment on what “road I should walk” and to “help me find it”, as the words of a current, popular contemporary Christian music song states.
In essence, God’s perfect will for my life.
God has given me talents that I believe are pretty neat and incredible (although to some they might not be that impressive). On the surface, actually, they’re not, I suppose. Yet I want to make sure that I’m using them right – and for the right purpose.
For those that don’t have a faith that they place their trust and belief in, they wouldn’t understand that I prayed before I announced a recent race three weeks ago on a Sunday morning in Katy that I did well – not for me – but that perhaps one participant might be in need – of something - that morning of being recognized as they came to the finish line.
It has never really been about me. It has been about those people who – in road races, for example – have paid their discretionary income to participate in an activity that is of physical and emotional value to them.
When I do a high school cross country meet, such as Nike South that I did recently, it is all about the kids. All the time. I want things to be perfect for them – not me.
And if the road that I’m on isn’t the one that I’m supposed to be taking, then I ask myself what will I do to replace that void that I may have.
For as much joy as I have gained over the years in being involved in many of the endeavors I have, there has been much pain too.
That pain is NOTHING, though, compared to others that I know – or have known -- who have lost a child, spouse, relative or a close friend or have overcome disease or another tragedy in their life.
I say “have” because I have experienced the pain of losing friendships – or what I thought to be friendships. Maybe they were acquaintances, at best, that I misperceived to be friendships.
If they’re friendships, both parties go all in, right?
I have walked away from situations – taken the high road, if you will, and with great private pain (that few of my best friends have even understood) – because I just didn’t see any value in fighting out what I perceived to be a wrong approach on the other parties’ part.
Because of social media and what pops up right in front of you (without even looking for it), I steer clear of people that I consider a friend because you can see the value they place in people who I have been wronged by.
That’s a huge challenge and minefield.
And, at the same time, there are people who “window shop” and announce that they are (think “following” on Twitter), but they never engage. I admit openly that I have bumped those people from my “follow” list, especially when I encounter those people in person and they never engage in either setting.
Back to this “athletic” world that I’m currently immersed in. What do I do? Does God want me here? Is there a Kingdom-driven purpose for me to be doing what I’m doing?
Like I said, it has brought me great joy.
A run.
I get discouraged by folks whose world seems to revolve around it.
When I had a “running” blog, which was more of a “media outlet” that I updated regularly six or seven years ago, I got taken to task because I didn’t train – or do things – via the textbook.
I learned over time that those who did were seeking recognition – or credit – because they thought their approach and work was “right”, or people have deeper issues that they’re dealing with.
But some of my greatest joys have come from a simple run.
I recently got to do that twice on my recent visit this past weekend with my daughter, who is a freshman at Liberty University.
And one of them was a makeup run that we missed before her Mom and I left her there to start the semester. It is something that I prayed as the week leading up to my most recent visit that nothing would come in the way of because I didn’t want that “miss” to be “the” memory.
I had desired some “us” time the morning before we needed to leave.
All the while, I’ve been trying to teach her to plan things out and I’ve tried to also treat her like an adult. She’s earned that respect, but as a parent, I’ve also learned that sometimes it is OK that they still be a child – especially, at heart.
I had expected her to remember the plan, but the night before, at dinner, she had forgotten about it.
I was hurt. And selfish.
Here I was in what was one of the biggest challenges in her life wanting something for me.
Only because I loved her (at that moment) – and love her (now) – as much as life itself sometimes.
It caused for some hurt feelings, angst, unnecessary drama and not as perfect departure the next morning that I think we all envisioned it to be.
I was glad that God provided me the opportunity this past weekend to make up for that.
We shared a 40-minute run (20 out and 20 back) on a trail – starting from the riverfront part of downtown Lynchburg – that I wouldn’t want her running on unless she was with a group of other runners that she knew and trusted.
It was a simple, yet awesome time.
The next morning, we got to do something that we’ve done many times – and that is run a race together.
There were no expectations, I suppose. It was to be fun. And it was.
It was a race that was on the grounds of Thomas Jefferson’s family retreat called Poplar Forest.
A few weeks before, she ran a race that started and finished on Liberty’s football field. And I wasn’t able to be there. That had only happened one other time when our church put on a 5K the same day that I was announcing another event.
As I’ve done many times, I asked if they had anyone to do the National Anthem. The race production company, which was the local running store, asked the race director and they made time in their timeline for her to do so.
She stepped up, not having done so since the Fourth of July, and did a superb job singing, but then she did so running too.
She has been going out for runs a couple of times a week in the heat and on the hills of the campus. More so that she wasn’t running at night by herself, from a safety standpoint. (I was surprised, even near the campus of a Christian university, the number of young women who were running alone with headphones – oblivious, perhaps, to the world around them.)
And her efforts paid off.
She went through the first mile in 10:51.76, and the first mile wasn’t flat. It had a downhill and a couple of rolls on the way out and you got the rolls on the way back to the first mile marker.
The second mile had a nice uphill, but by the middle of it, we were on asphalt-covered streets – the best, in my mind, to run on. Especially for rhythm runners, which we both are.
She got to the second mile marker in 11:17.86 and it was then that I knew that if she could hold it together for another mile that she would be staring at a nice PR.
And she did. We covered the last 1.1 mile in 12:08.83 for a PR of 34:17! (34:18.45 on my watch, but that is because I let her cross before I did.)
She also outkicked a girl at the end that ended up a spot behind her in the same age group, making her second instead of third. And if the overall winner hadn’t been a 14-year-old, then she might had been out of a medal if she hadn’t pushed it at the end.
I feel a bit better, but I still am challenged by what do I need to be doing down the road and how do my hobbies fit in with that – if at all.
Two verses on the daily Tony Dungy “Quiet Strength” inspirational calendar sit in front of me crossing October 16 to the 17th.
October 16 – “God’s grace is all I need; His power works best in my weakness, as 2 Corinthians 12:9 says.”
October 17 – “We live in a lost and hurting world, and God wants us to get beyond ourselves, whether it’s to help hurting kids or grieving parents or artistic inmates or striving fathers.”
Get beyond ourself. Indeed. The line is still appropriate, “If there’s a road I should walk, help me find it.” I’m here. I’m trying my best. And I want to find the right road that I should be walking.
I know that I’ll probably make some mistakes along the way, but I want peace to know that I’m doing the right things, in the right way and for the right purpose.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)