The Run Not Run is sometimes the Best Run of All!

This Sunday I had a plan for my last long 20 mile run before Boston. I had rested a few days for it and was actually looking forward to seeing how fast I could run it! Then the weather changed and the temp dropped to 40 and it started to rain....But I'm no WIMP, I said to myself and decided to go out anyway...then I got a call from a patient who might be in labor....well maybe I should wait a while and see what happens....wouldn't want to be out on a really long run and have an emergency at the hospital. So a couple hours later I hadn't heard anything, so I dressed up and was heading out the door when I got paged. She had made significant progress and I needed to head in within the hour. As i drove to the hospital, the rain got harder and harder, then the temp dropped some more. Now it was 36 degrees.....BRRRRR! Could this get any worse? Yes ! It started snowing!!!!! I was REALLY glad I was in my nice warm car :)

So, no long run. Instead I got to run a few errands, head to the (NICE WARM) hospital, check in with my patient, and then watched MSU dominate an excellent Louisville team, while Tim was there in the stands! How cool! Then, I got to watch Tiger come from 5 back to tie and then take the lead in a tournament just a few miles from where Mike and Jessica live in Orlando! Two holes to go......"Dr Fleming, we need you in Labor Room 1 - your patient is getting ready to birth!" Drat! But God had a plan for that, too. My patient was a former golf team member in college and was VERY interested in seeing who won, too!

SO, it was "PUUUSSHHH" then "Did you see that shot?" then "PUUUSSHHH!" then "He sank that putt! Can you believe it?" "Take a look at all that hair! PUUSSHH!" "Here he comes!"

And so, a new baby boy was born just a few minutes after Tiger roared back into the headlines. And they named him Jackson! Simply awesome!

So, sometimes the best run is the one NOT run at all! Thanks be to God!

PS - The weather changed dramatically again today - after all, this is Michigan we are talking about - so I got to run late this afternoon in the nice warm sunshine :)

PPS - Boston is only 21 days away!

Transfiguring Moments

Recently I was in Utah on a family ski trip and enjoying myself immensely. We had the best snow of the year and God blessed us with so many things.

But perhaps the best was a wonderful Mass we attended in a beautiful Catholic Church in the mountains called St Mary of the Assumption. The music was very good, the gospel was the Transfiguration, and the homily made it come alive. Basically the message was that God's love was the power that transfigured Jesus. The Father's living love was received and returned so perfectly by the Son that he was revealed for who He really was, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. Then God spoke, "This is my Beloved Son. Listen to Him!"

And God desires to pour out His love into our hearts, too! Our problem is that we are not always open to the experience of total joy and love that He wants to give! So sometime He uses amazing life experiences to help us be more receptive, like a beautiful ski run, a magnificent sunset, or just the snow covered mountains themselves! In these moments, God lets us know that he really loves us; that we, too are His beloved sons and daughters!

And so I thank our God for the transfiguring moments he has given me. Think about your own moments and see if you can experience God's love in them as well.

What Race Are You Running?

Mike and I ran personal best times in the Five Points of Life Gainesville Half Marathon recently, truly a significant accomplishment for both of us. But I had to ask myself as Lent begins, how am I doing in the REAL race, the one whose finish line is Heaven's gate?

At Mass in Gainesville with Mike and Jessica, one of the hymns went "I want to walk as a child of the light" and one of the later verses began "When we have run with patience the race, we shall know the joy of Jesus".

So, I am dedicating my training and run in Boston to growing in my relationship with my personal Lord and Savior, Jesus. Lord, help me to run the race You give me to run with patience and dedication, giving all the glory to Your name! Amen!

Committed or WHAT!?!

OK, so I admit it: I am committed to getting this ol' bod ready for Boston! 5 weeks into the training program I picked out and no workouts missed yet :) This despite what I perceive to be the coldest, snowiest and nastiest winter in a long.long, time!

Only 12 weeks to go.... Will I be ready? Will I be better than last year's time? Will I make it up "Heartbreak Hill"? Is it all worth it, anyway?

My answer is yes! Commitments make you stronger. They test your resolve and increase your endurance as you actually fulfill them.

Let's apply that to other areas in life: sticking with a tough job until it's done right, finishing a hard homework assignment, being faithful especially when you don't feel like it, and coming across a finish line with a smile on your face.

In the spiritual life, try being virtuous when you really want to be the opposite; try being honest when you just "have" to tell that little fib; try praying with faithfulness especially when all the feelings are absent, and always look forward to that finish line which leads to heaven.

Do you know how to tie your shoes?

I really like learning new things. It's a wonderful experience when those skills are actually useful, too! Like tying my shoes so the don't come untied! Did you know that Usain Bolt in his recent world-record breaking performance in the Olympics ran the end of the race with an untied shoelace? Lucky he didn't trip!

So for many years, I "solved my problem" by putting in double knots. UBU ! That's golf talk for "ugly but useful". Imagine my surprise when I saw this video on the home page of Runner's World recently:

http://www.runnersworld.com/video/1,8052,s6-4-0-4,00.html?ext=Y&videolink=http://link.brig

It really works! My shoes stayed tied all day! I used on my hockey skates and running shoes, too! No more double knots! Go ahead, paste it in and check it out! Or go to www.runnersworld.com and look for it on the home page. Fascinating!

OK. You know I like to make spiritual connections, so here it goes: sometimes we were taught a certain way of thinking about God that just didn't "work"; it just kept coming "untied"! Now along comes a loving Father who teaches us the right way, and it works!

We are never too old to learn new ways! Just ask God to show you the way!

Come on in - the water's great!

I believe God is inviting us to come into His heart to quench our spiritual thirst. "Come on in!", He says. There we can be immersed, filled, and drink our fill of His amazing love. The "living waters" referred to by Jesus in the Bible are none other than the flowing love of the Father for the Son and the Son for the Father. They are so secure in their love that they invite us to join them... So, like the Samaritan woman at the well, lets ask for that "living water"! Come on in, the water's great!

I'm REALLY Thirsty!

Ever have that feeling of being really parched? Maybe after (or during...) a long run or game of tennis, you notice you're just not your best anymore. Muscles start to fatigue more quickly, breathing is harder, maybe your brain gets a bit foggy..... Time to rehydrate!

I believe that God wants us to recognize our need for him in our lives and "quench our thirst" by coming to Him in prayer. Don't know what to say? How about starting with "Lord, I want You, I need You, but I don't know how to get there. Please come and get me!" He promises to flood us with those "rivers of living water"!

Ahhh! Satisfying!