Houston, TX – Dallas, TX – Little Rock, AR – Cincinnati, OH – Jewett, TX – Roans Prairie, TX. One massive loop to see teammates, births, friends, family, and my parents. Saying goodbye stinks, but it is great to see everyone. Bitter-sweet, to be sure.
Reunion
So, there is a Camp of the Hills counselor reunion this weekend. It is official: I am pumped.
Church League Softball
That’s right, I am on my church’s softball team, and I official stink. Apparently, the mere fact that I played little league baseball did not automatically guarantee my softball success as an adult. So much for my dreams of church league softball glory. Maybe I should start taking up shuffleboard, so that my skills will be honed by the time that everyone else my age starts playing. Despite my disappointing skills, it has been a blessing to get to know the guys on my team and to have an excuse to exercise. What can I say? I am a “half full” kinda guy 
Finally
The day came, and then it went. Now, I can officially say that I have completed my second full marathon, and the entire experience was fantastic! The race weekend was full of time with family and friends, good food, beautiful weather, and race-day excitement. I couldn’t have asked for anything better!My reactions to marathons cracks me up. Around miles 23-26.2 of both marathons, I distinctly remember thinking, “I will never do this again. What could I have possibly been thinking?” Amazingly, though, once you cross the finish line, a miracle occurs. Slowly, as the pain dies away (partially), my thinking begins to mysteriously change: “That wasn’t too bad. In fact, I kind of enjoyed it. I could do that again.” I think that there is something seriously wrong with me – pray for me.
The Point of No Return
Have there ever been times in your life that you have committed to something and later wished that you hadn’t? There is excitement and anticipation in your heart, because otherwise you wouldn’t have committed in the first place. But, on the other hand, there is fear and dread. That is how I feel right now. In two days, there will be relief mixed with pain – lots of pain. I can’t wait.
Eight days
That is how long my teammates, several friends, and I have before we run the AT&T Austin Marathon. Only eight days left to train for the marathon; only eight days to let my body rest; only eight days left to dread the inevitable. In reality, though, I am really looking forward to it…especially the finish line, where my family and friends will be waiting for me to stumble in.
A Bit Disappointed
I must admit, I am somewhat saddened by the Patriots’ 14-17 loss last night in Super Bowl XLII. Can I say that I think that they deserved to win the final game of their perfect season? Well, that’s how I feel. Nevertheless, it was an amazing game. Now, we have World Cup 2010 to look forward to, which I will be watching in a soccer-loving culture. Now that makes me smile
Partners In Health (PIH)
Recently, I read the book Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder. Through masterfully written stories, Kidder describes the life of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Harvard-graduated doctor who has chosen to spend his life serving poor people across the globe. Farmer first encountered the desperate need of those living in poverty while visiting Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The people that he met living in the Central Plateau did not have clean water to drink, arable land to farm, health care, sanitation, or education. Many people in developed countries would love to credit these deficiencies to laziness, indifference, or some other reason that would pin the blame on the Haitians. But what Farmer found was that this extreme poverty often came from systematic oppression from the ruling elites, who were often supported by the United States government. These people could not will their way out of poverty no matter how hard they tried; the entire deck was stacked against them.Thus, Farmer, along with several other devoted individuals, established a free clinic in the Central Plateau. In the process, they founded Partners In Health (www.pih.org), an organization whose mission is to “provide a preferential option for the poor in health care.” PIH gives preference to those people that never receive preference in anything else; they seek to provide health care for “the least of these” (Matt. 25:40), treating such diseases as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and malaria, as well as any other problem that people bring them. Please check out their website. Read the book; donate your money and your voice; help save lives.
¿Qué apoyas tú?
That is the question: “What do you support?” Of course, your answer could take an infinite number of forms, such as “my family & friends” or “Barack Obama in 2008.” But those answers are not exactly what I am looking for. What I am getting at could be restated as, “What causes do you support?”In my own life, I have learned that if I don’t intentionally stand for anything, then often I don’t stand for much at all. If I don’t willingly seek to share my faith with those around me, no matter how strong my own inner faith may be, it normally isn’t shared at all. If I don’t make a conscious effort to let my family know how much I love them, those sentiments often go unspoken. And if I don’t intentionally choose causes to support, chances are that I will never merely stumble upon them.My next several posts are going to be about causes that I believe are worthwhile, that are concerned about the needs of those who are hurting, and that display the love of Jesus Christ to a suffering world. There are organizations out there that are deserving of your time, voice, and money. Maybe I can introduce you to a few.
