Making the Most of our Time
Verse: Colossians 4:5
How do we use our time? It might be instructive to track how we use the 168 hours we have available each week.
Right off the bat, 56 of those hours should be dedicated to sleep (My family would say I cut that one a touch short). Then, if you are still in the workplace or in school, you can account for another 50 hours there. That leaves somewhere around 60 hours to account for.
How you use those 60 hours will have a profound effect on your life. We all have different pressures on our lives, the blueprint is going to look different for each of us. That said, it would do us all good to spend some of that time in distinct types of exercise. There is PHYSICAL exercise (like this week’s exercise challenge outlined below), MENTAL exercise (maybe doing a Crossword, Wordle, Nerdle (a version of Wordle for math geeks), or reading a book), and SPIRITUAL exercise (engaging in a small group or yes even reading this and coming to our group meeting at Campo Y on Saturday at 7:00AM, if you live in Brandon). Hitting all three exercise groups each week should be a goal!
Physical Exercise Challenge: 40 minutes of daily aerobic activity (running, walking, biking, swimming, or like activity) for at least 4 days this week! And for those that want to you can maintain 100 minus your age push-up, sit-up, plank challenge.
Have a great week!
Adapted from They Will Run and Not Grow Weary by David Alan Black
Being There for Each Other
Theme: Being There for Each Other
Verse: 1 Corinthians 12:26
Exercise partners are important! They encourage us. They hold us accountable to be at the meeting spot at 0500! And most importantly they share our trials and our accomplishments.
In November 2020 I met my good friend, Alex, at a race at the local Y. We ran the 5K independently but struck up a conversation afterwards. He was looking for a training partner to prepare for future races. I was available and just like that a great training friendship was born.
Nearly every week for the past two and a half years we have encouraged each other through interval and tempo run training. We have talked about lots of things along the way from sports (specifically when teams should go for two points conversions after touchdowns) to the wonder of mathematics (he’s a retired college math professor) and the importance of faith in our lives.
Having a spiritual partner(s) is important. You keep each other on track. You help each other grow. And most importantly, you allow each other to see the world through a different lens. If you don’t have one, you are really missing out. If you do, count yourself as blessed.
This week’s challenge is to go to your spiritual partner(s) and do something to thank them for being there for you!
Have a great week!
Adapted from They Will Run and Not Grow Weary by David Alan Black
The Prize is the Journey
Theme: The Prize is the Journey
Verse: Jeremiah 29:11
Running (and exercise in general) can be addictive, hopefully in a positive way. It tends to make us feel a bit better about ourselves. (Well, not always. When I see the 20-year-olds leave the start line like a bolt of lightning, it is a bit demoralizing.)
Challenging ourselves physically allows us to push back on all of life’s “No’s” that try to trap us into apathy. As humans, we are wired to strive for something bigger than ourselves. Running (Exercise) allows us to see this in tangible ways with fairly quick feedback. It also sets us up for better performance in other areas of our lives.
Races are lots of fun with lots of people and excitement in the air. But the journey (the early morning training runs, the extra set of pushups before you go to sleep, or maybe eating a little bit better) to get to the race is what is really important. The Prize is in the Journey!
Have a great week and Go Get ‘Em!
Adapted from They Will Run and Not Grow Weary by David Alan Black
Quest for Meaning
Theme: Quest for Meaning
Verse: Jeremiah 1:5
One truth is we are all here for a purpose. Another truth is we often have no idea the totality of that purpose.
One of the great stories from my hometown is my chemistry and physics teacher taught at the local high school for 54 years (or in President Lincoln terms, two score and 14 years). In that time, he probably had students in his classroom from every family in town. In his final year, he taught a single class so that he could have the great-grandchild of one of his first students in his classroom. Four generations of one family learning that Force = Mass x Acceleration and how to read a Periodic Table.
In my house I have a couple of school desks from the old Crystal City Elementary School. My mother and aunt sat in desks just like them when they attended that school. The desks have been refurbished after moving around the Air Force with me. My daughters played school in them. When I look at the desks, I think about my teachers, coaches, and mentors and how each of them had a role in shaping my life and that of my family. It helps me remember that like it or not I have that responsibility as well.
You never know where your life will lead or who you are going impact (and you are going to impact someone whether you intended to or not). It’s a tremendous responsibility and opportunity!
Have a great week!
Adapted from They Will Run and Not Grow Weary by David Alan Black
One Day at a Time
Theme: One Day at a Time
Verse: Philippians 4:6-7
Whether it is exercise or the study of something, to succeed you’ve got to get it into the regular rhythm of life.
It’s no accident that I see the same group of people in the morning at the local Y. Finding a schedule (or rhythm) for one’s exercise makes a huge positive difference. That group of people apparently has determined, like me, that the morning is a time of the day when other life demands tend to not interrupt.
The same applies to our faith journey. We need to dedicate time to exercising that part of our lives. Once we find that time, we need to take things one day at a time.
In exercise and our faith walk our training needs to be consistent, so we make some progress every day.
Have a great week!
Adapted from They Will Run and Not Grow Weary by David Alan Black
A runner is a runner no matter what
Theme: A runner is a runner no matter what
Verse: Romans 10:9
Last week at my race, there were people of all speeds and ages. It was a wonderful experience to be with several hundred people who shared an interest that morning. We also shared a common direction once the race began. You didn’t need to be a professional or run at a minimum speed. Everyone got to experience the glory of completing the race and the thrill of crossing the finish line and in this race hear their name announced as they approached the finish.
Our scripture is clear that one does not need to be a professional theologian to make their way around “the course” here on earth to reach heaven. It’s a singular, not necessarily simple, task. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
So, it’s not how long you have been a believer, or how much you know about the Bible. If you believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose to be with the Father, you have met the standard. For that you qualify to cross the finish line, hear your name called, and get “your medal.”
Have a great week!
Adapted from They Will Run and Not Grow Weary by David Alan Black
Run through Self-Doubt
Theme: Run through Self-Doubt
Verse: Joshua 1:9
Baseball is a great game. It’s a metaphor for our lives in many ways. There is a one-on-one struggle between pitcher and batter, but the game cannot be played successfully without relying on the team to back you up. There are lines on the field and people (umpires) around to let the players know if the ball is inside or outside the field’s parameters. Finally, no team has navigated an MLB season without a few losses. In fact, the MLB record for wins is 116 (1906 Cubs (36 losses) and 2001 Mariners (46 losses)). Notably, neither of those teams won the World Series that season.
Our faith walk has many of the same dynamics. We have a one-on-one interaction with God, but our faith family is in place to back us up when we struggle in that relationship. The Bible gives us clear operating parameters, and those around us are there to help us know which side of the ‘foul line” we are on. And none of us are going to “run the table” without a setback or two. No one, other than Jesus, has lived the perfect life on this earth.
As my eldest daughter likes to say, “The Struggle is Real”. But I think overcoming the difficulty that causes the struggle is what makes life worth living. As we live our faith don’t be afraid of the unknown. Be confident that God will keep his promise and be with you wherever you go!
Have a great week!
Adapted from They Will Run and Not Grow Weary by David Alan Black
Built for Community
Theme: Built for Community
Verse: 1 Corinthians 12:27
Humans were created to operate in communities. We grow up in families, build teams at work, play team sports, and form small groups in our church environment. It’s almost impossible to escape being part of some community.
Most running communities are encouraging groups. While personal goals are always important for runners, running groups tend to be most proud of the achievements of the entire group, whether it’s breaking the finish line tape or completing the race just in front of the end of route balloons.
Healthy Christian groups should act the same way. It’s easy to applaud the brother or sister that graduates from divinity school or becomes a Bishop. But how often do we honor the servant that never does anything flashy but is faithful in the small things day after day, year after year?Sometimes we realize at the very end how many people that person has touched along the way.
Two challenges this week. First, think about a person that has a significant positive impact inyour Christian walk. If possible, reach out to them and thank them. Second, find a way to have a positive impact on one of your communities (your family, workplace, church, just pick one) and build a plan to act. Consider sharing either or both stories in the comments section of the website posting so you can be an encouragement to others.
Have a great week!
Adapted from They Will Run and Not Grow Weary by David Alan Black
The Race is Marked
Theme: The Race is Marked
Verse: Proverbs 4:26
Race Day! There is something different about race day that you don’t get in daily training sessions.
First, on race day you run a defined path. There are course boundaries within which runners are supposed to stay. Stray from the assigned path and you do so at your own risk (as I did in Kentucky last October, but that’s a story for another time).
Second, race day is a time to put forth your best effort. Giving the race your best shot will give you a sense of accomplishment whether you finish 1st or 101st.
Finally, distance races have progressions. Even the 5K is not a full sprint (although it seems like it is for some of these youngsters that I see for about 20 seconds after the starting horn sounds). Everyone will have periods in the race that challenge them. Persevering through the struggle is what makes completion so rewarding.
Our Christian walk is similar. God has a specific plan (Our Path) for each of us. Determination (Our Best Effort) is required to finish the plan He has for us. During the race, we will go through phases, but continual advancement (Our Progression) will get us to the finish line if we put forth an honest effort.
This week many of us in Tampa will compete in one of several local races. These will be a reminder that God has a defined path for each of us. The courses may be different, but the destination (race completion) will be the same for all.
Follow YOUR path, give it YOUR best effort, and make continual progress. If you do that, we’ll all meet up at the FINISH LINE!
Have a great week!
Adapted from They Will Run and Not Grow Weary by David Alan Black
We invite you to join us in the 2023 Running of the Bulls 5k
Held at Bloomingdale Senior High School on Saturday, May 20. After a 2 year off-campus hiatus, it is returning to its original on-campus format this year!
Participants are welcome to run or walk the 5k! Walkers can select a timed or non-timed option. New this year is a ½ mile fun run/walk.
Registration is at: 2023 — Running of the Bulls 5K — Race Roster — Registration, Marketing, Fundraising
Keep Moving Forward
Theme: Keep Moving Forward
Verse: Philippians 3:13
In running there is a simple difference between success and failure. It is just taking the next step. Success in running is not simply measured by speed, but rather by completing the task at hand. I think that is one reason they give participants finishers medals at the conclusion of races. That is to celebrate completing the journey.
In our Christian walk, we can measure success in the same way, TAKING THE NEXT STEP. It’s not important how long or how fast the journey is, but rather in the completion.
Have a great week!
Adapted from They Will Run and Not Grow Weary by David Alan Black
We invite you to join us in the 2023 Running of the Bulls 5k
Held at Bloomingdale Senior High School on Saturday, May 20. After a 2 year off-campus hiatus, it is returning to its original on-campus format this year!
Participants are welcome to run or walk the 5k! Walkers can select a timed or non-timed option. New this year is a ½ mile fun run/walk.
Registration is at: 2023 — Running of the Bulls 5K — Race Roster — Registration, Marketing, Fundraising
Showing Up and Daring Greatly
Theme: Showing Up and Daring Greatly
Verse: 1 John 4:19
Running has a lot of similarities to our Christian walk. We typically start off slowly, a bit uncertain of the path ahead. Going in groups tends to give us more confidence but eventually, we find our own path. And in every run (or walk, swim, cycle) our limits are tested in some way.
Last week we spoke about not trying to be something that you are not. That is not to say that what you are cannot be expanded within the talent set God has entrusted to you.
Everyone has limits and the ability to expand those thresholds. Running is an easy way to demonstrate this truth. I cannot count the number of people I’ve watched go from fledging runners to downright beasts on the race circuit. (These days I watch many of them from behind and they greet me as I eventually get to the finish line).
Outside of running, I’ve seen this happen as well. In the past month my youngest daughter, Amanda, has embodied stretching one’s limits. For those that do not know her, she is the exact opposite of me. Let’s just say she is a bit reserved. Despite that personality, she is doing things with life I could not imagine her doing as she was growing up. In just the past month she has directed a school play, been a stage mentor for a young actress, and guided her Bell Creek Academy math students to what hopefully will be the successful end-of-year testing. (Go Panthers!) She’s done all this by expanding her limits, learning from the occasional failure, but persevering through.
We are not stuck inside the box we currently find ourselves in. If you test your limits and run the race hard, you will not be disappointed in the result, no matter where (or when) you finish.
Have a great week!
Adapted from They Will Run and Not Grow Weary by David Alan Black
We invite you to join us in the 2023 Running of the Bulls 5k
Held at Bloomingdale Senior High School on Saturday, May 20. After a 2 year off-campus hiatus, it is returning to its original on-campus format this year!
Participants are welcome to run or walk the 5k! Walkers can select a timed or non-timed option. New this year is a ½ mile fun run/walk.
Registration is at: 2023 — Running of the Bulls 5K — Race Roster — Registration, Marketing, Fundraising
You be You and Let Them Be Them!
Theme: You be You and Let Them Be Them!
Verse: Romans 12:4
The great thing about running / walking is there are so many ways to participate. Littleequipment is required, and success can be measured in a variety of ways. In my mind, the most important thing is not speed or volume of miles, but consistency.
This is not unlike our spiritual journey. You don’t need any specialized training or equipment. Just an open mind, an open heart, and a little bit of consistency to be successful. Each person has their own set of spiritual gifts.
If you are a good speaker, maybe you can preach. If you are a good listener, maybe you can be a comforting ear to someone who just needs a friend. If you are a coach, maybe you can teach something. The point is everyone has some talent to share. And we need ALL those talents to be a fully functioning community.
Don’t try to be something that you are not. Just work hard and consistently within that talent set that God has given you.
Have a great week!
Adapted from They Will Run and Not Grow Weary by David Alan Black
Everyone is Called!
Theme: Everyone is Called!
Verse: Matthew 28:19
The NFL draft is next week. Over the course of three days, 259 young men will hear their name called. With that, each one will have an opportunity to change their history. While I’m fairly certain no one reading this will receive one of those 259 phone calls, I am certain that each of us will be CALLED, nonetheless.
Each of us is called to serve the kingdom of God. God has appointed the entire church for ministry to and for the world. You don’t have to be the next Billy Graham to serve in this capacity. Local communities never run out of ways for those willing to be the hands and feet of Jesus to serve. There are hungry or homeless or sick or lonely all around us who would embracea simple act of kindness in the name of Christ.
Our church has a rather simple, but profound, mission statement. “Make MORE and BETTER followers of Jesus.” While we often focus on the quantitative aspect, bringing more people to Christ; the qualitative aspect, refining those who already believe to be more like Christ, is equally important. Being the hands and feet of Jesus is step in that direction.
So, while you wait to see what the Buccaneers do with the #19 pick in the draft, consider what you can do to be a top draft pick for God. Answer HIS call by finding a way to serve others in your community.
Have a great week!
Adapted from They Will Run and Not Grow Weary by David Alan Black
Looking Back to Go Forward!
Theme: Looking Back to Go Forward!
Verse: Hebrews 12: 1-2
I lost my aunt this past week. She lived a very full life and I rejoice that she has gone home to be with Jesus.
These moments are a good time to reflect on those that have guided us along the way. This would include parents, aunts, uncles, teachers, pastors, co-workers, and even exercise partners. I have fine examples of all of these in my life.
The small town where I grew up is one you can’t find very often these days. My Dad was the local newspaper editor. My Mom was a piano teacher. The schoolteachers taught me well enough to get me through high school, college, and a marginally successful career in the United States Air Force. I played sports for some of the finest coaches one could ask for. They taught me more than how to hit, catch and throw a ball. They taught me to be part of a team, win with grace, and lose with dignity. Many of these same people were Sunday School leaders in the local churches where they taught us many of those same lessons. I can honestly say I would not be anywhere in this world without the collective effort of a small-town community that raised a generation of kids along the Mississippi River in Missouri.
This is a shout-out to Crystal City, the town that raised my mother and aunt, then in the next generation, my sister and me. People there strived to make their town better than they found it. My assessment of that goal is MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! I hope those I grew up with, realize what a special place we had. As our generation takes the baton to complete our race, if we do it half as well in our communities as our elders did along the banks of the Mississippi, our kids and grandkids will be just fine!
Have a great week!
Adapted from They Will Run and Not Grow Weary by David Alan Black
We are All Winners!
Theme: We are All Winners!
Verse: 2 Corinthians 12:9
The beauty of running is that success can be measured in so many ways. In the Olympics, running is a competition in which one person is the Gold Medalist. But in the world of mere athletic mortals, where everyone in this group except Destiny live, success might be a somewhat less lofty standard.
Maybe you define success as placing in your gender and age group. Or maybe it is hitting a personal best. Or if you are just starting out / coming back from injury maybe success it simply finishing the race.
The point is regardless of how long it takes you to finish, you are victorious in that you were in the game and made the step across the finish line.
Each step in our life is the same way. Each day we are in a race in which we discover something new about God’s will for our lives. The moment when we accept and reject the limitations of our earthly lives and realize that with God we can do all things is the moment we know we on the right path and have become a WINNERS in the race that really counts!
Have a great week!
Adapted from They Will Run and Not Grow Weary by David Alan Black
Persevere to the End
Theme: Persevere to the End
Verse: Romans 5:4
It’s appropriate that we have a devotional about on this subject today. Two sports seasons that are all about perseverance take center stage this weekend. One is ending and one is just beginning.
You may have heard something about a couple of college basketball tournaments going on the past couple of weeks. These are all about perseverance. The student-athletes play approximately 30 games over 4 months to qualify for the tournament. Then, in the span of about 17 days, need to win 6 (or for some, 7) more games against the best competition to be declared the champion. It’s a grueling road!
Then, there is baseball. This weekend marks the start of the 162-game season for 30 MLB teams. Another arduous journey that takes teams from coast to coast and from north to south severaltimes until October. Then, a handful get to play on to get to the end.
Both these seasons present obstacles to the participants, and that is not unlike our lives. We are all human with weaknesses causing us to fall short of God’s standard for our lives. Yet, He loves us unconditionally! He loves us even when our life gets in the way, and we are incapable or unwilling to love him back.
When we find our horizontal relationships (earthly ones) are in disarray consider that there may be something to fix in our vertical relationship (with our Heavenly Father).
Have a great week!
Go Rays! Go Cards!
Adapted from They Will Run and Not Grow Weary by David Alan Black
Learn to Rest, Not Quit
Theme: Learn to Rest, Not Quit
Verse: Genesis 2:2-3
This is for me more than anyone else on the planet. So, the rest of you can read along while God speaks to me!
Rest in an important part of any training plan. It’s built into any I’ve ever seen, including the one in the Bible, (See our feature verse!)
It might sound counter-intuitive, but rest helps you achieve your goals. It creates a rhythm of life that includes renewal. Nature (God’s handywork) has several examples of rest and renewal.Plants have a production cycle for their fruit. Bees and ants harvest in certain periods of production. Bears have long hibernation periods. But humans? Well, we have created conditions that allow us to operate outside the natural cycle. For example, lighting in our homes allows us to stay awake far longer than we would naturally.
From an exercise perspective, including a rest component will help you stay committed. It avoids exercise getting stale and will keep you from giving up or giving in.
When you are doing your work, give it everything you can so you get the most impact out of the time you are committing. The same applies to rest. Schedule it and commit to it! You will get re-charged and be ready to attack your goal the next time out.
Have a great week!
Adapted from They Will Run and Not Grow Weary by David Alan Black
Balance Body and Soul
Theme: Balance Body and Soul
Verse: Philippians 4:11
Life Balance is a struggle for most of us. Put serious training for a long race in the mix and things can really get out of whack!
Time is a scarce commodity for each of us as we have only 168 hours each week (we actually had only 167 hours last week due to daylight savings time). The point is we must fit a lot into the time we have and there are no do-overs with time (unless you are a member of the Soviet 1972 Olympic Men’s Basketball Team).
We should consider maintaining fitness a kingdom activity, and not forget that fitness is a whole-body experience. Our muscles and our minds. We need to feed both to enable us to do effective kingdom work. That balancing act is difficult to manage, but be aware that the potential for imbalance exists if more than half of the battle.
So, what if we aren’t Jack Lalanne, Suzanne Somers, or Richard Simmons and not a seemingly perfect physical specimen? The good news is that we all have imperfections, and it’s through those imperfections that God has an opportunity to work through us in this world.
Have a great week!
Adapted from They Will Run and Not Grow Weary by David Alan Black
Plotting a Path
Theme: Plotting a Path
Verse: Proverbs 16:9
Those who know me accurately accuse me of being an over-planner. It’s a blessing and a curse. Planning (or preparing) for a race takes some effort. Most people follow some sort of training plan before venturing into a race distance they have not done before. My nephew, Casey, (an All-American college QB), tried to run a half marathon without any training and will tell you that was one of the great miscalculations of his athletic life.
The community of runners is a particularly encouraging bunch. I suppose that’s because each one of us has been at the beginning of the run journey, so we remember those first scary steps. Here are a few characteristics found in most people in the running community.
First, they have examined their motivation. Few people simply get up in the morning, and decide to run a 1/2 marathon that day or week. Almost without exception, that is a decision each person has given a considerable amount of thought to.
Second, almost without exception, runners plan and prepare. My nephew learned his lesson and at the next opportunity, he actually did the training and shaved about 40% off of his half-marathon time. (But he still has not caught his uncle.)
Next, there is some level of discipline in runners. Getting up at 4:00 is not for the faint of heart. One needs a good level of discipline to avoid rolling over and enjoying the warmth of the bed.
Fourth, most are part of a group that provides a tremendous level of accountability and encouragement.
Finally, (and this is hard sometimes), runners evaluate the risk of the activity they are undertaking. We all like to think of ourselves as Superman or Superwoman, but in reality, we are each just regular Joes or Janes. The truth is we will falter and need to regroup so that we can run another day.
These characteristics of runners can be applied to other aspects of our lives. Go plot your path and have a fantastic journey.
Have a great week!
Adapted from They Will Run and Not Grow Weary by David Alan Black
Adventures
Theme: Adventures
Verse: 2 Corinthians 11:26
What is the biggest adventure you have been on? Maybe you climbed a mountain or dove into a beautiful sea and saw brilliantly colored fish. Perhaps you visited another continent and learned about a different culture. Whatever it was, I’m confident your adventure was a little exciting and possibly a bit scary as you charted out into an unknown place.
As you go along your personal journey you may find God calling you to do something seemingly impossible. Maybe it is running that first 5k, 10k, ½ marathon, or yes even that 26.2 monster, the full marathon. Or maybe it’s not a run. Maybe it’s an opportunity to serve people in a way you never considered before. Whatever it is, it’s good for us to step out into the unknown to test our limits and comfort zone. God has wired us to do just that.
I recall when my good friend, Ron, invited me to join him on his Saturday morning ritual, a 12-mile run. The night prior I had trouble sleeping wondering what that was going to be like since at the time I had not gone beyond 6 or so miles. Four o’clock AM rolled around, I got ready, drove to the meeting spot, and off we went. About 2 hours later, I was coming up the now familiar Nature’s Way Blvd at the conclusion of the run and realized that what seemed so daunting was not so bad. I’ve been doing some version of that run every Saturday now for the last 20 years.
The point is, what seems like great challenges, once tried, typically are not as impossible as we make them out to be. We just need to take the leap, trusting that God will guide us and give us the strength we need at the moment.
Go find your adventure and have a great week!
Adapted from They Will Run and Not Grow Weary by David Alan Black