Now that I fancy myself as some kind of runner, I’ve tried picturing myself running in the half marathon coming up next month (that should freak me out!). I’ve also tried to picture myself after the half, running a training run for my next race, whatever that might be. Unfortunately, I’ve had something of a mental buzz-kill lately. I’ve let things like minor injury, lack of enthusiasm, weather, and food stop me from running at my full potential.
The biggest killer of them all is my "accepted pace". I call it that because for as long as I remember, I’ve accepted it as my pace of choice, even though it’s pathetic. Long ago I started thinking that a ten minute mile pace was OK, and that everything else was the cherry on top. No small wonder why I think my first and last mile of the 10K were run too fast! That attitude, that the ten minute mile is OK, has damaged my running. I’m slowly getting to where ten minutes is slow, but I just slow myself down almost to meet that expectation I’ve set for myself.
Last night was a great example. Now, I’m nursing some sore chins and a sore foot, so that should be taken into consideration. However, I accepted tonight a 6.2 mile run at 1:01:08. Roughly, that’s barely faster than a ten minute split. Essentially, I shaved a mere 8.5 seconds off each minute. I’m never going to get faster if I think that this is acceptable. I am capable of more.
So I’m reducing my accepted split to 9:30. I’ll just keep training until that’s acceptable. That pace would give me roughly a 2:05 half marathon. Or, in other words, I would have run last night around 4 minutes faster. Still a tad slower than I want in the end, but a starting point. Now all I have to do is actually make it happen. We’ll see!
The problems behind divorce
Knowing that not all that many people read my blog allows me a great amount of freedom in writing on it. I like that, and shudder at the thought that I could one day influence someone through this blog. What would the world come to?
Anyway, I want to discuss something that is horrible in America...that is our divorce rate. First of all, the bad news: Between 45 and 50% of all first marraiges end in divorce, according to the website Divorce Statistics. That is disgusting. It makes me ill.
However, the church's current stance on divorce is unacceptable. Why? Because it fails to accept the reasons behind divorce. I grant you happily and willingly that many divorces end for ungodly reasons. After all, Christ only gave one reason to end a marraige, that being infidelity. Unfortunately, divorce in America is not always caused by "no fault" reasons.
For example, did you know that approximately 32 million Americans are abused each year? Would you like a wife to stay with her abusive husband? And keep her kids in that marriage as well? I hope your answer is no.
Here is the problem. In our black and white world, the church will gloss over things that don't work right in the equation. Since divorce doesn't compute in the conservative evangelical's mind, then he or she must gloss over things like abuse.
Instead, we should be leading the world in holding abusive men accountable...and I mean old school accountable. In the Navy it was once called Deck Plate Counseling, although that's not allowed anymore so I can't say it. Ok, so that's too far probably, but I guarantee that our churches should be safe havens for women and children who have been abused. We should flock to them, hold them, comfort them, counsel them, and confront the abusive party. Instead of doing what we have done for too long: "Many churches encouraged women to stay in unhappy marriages, even those that were abusive."
Rev. Dick Klaver, senior pastor of Ferry Memorial Reformed Church in Montague (MI), said, "I'd hear people expounding how religion validates male violence. The church has covered up (domestic) violence by encouraging women to try harder ... to behave better ... and then you won't be beaten. That is a travesty."
It is a travesty. Stop worrying about divorce until you are willing to deal with abuse. And once you've worked on that, start next on adultery. Then start working on other reasons for divorce. Divorce is always the byproduct of something else. Whether it is money, lack of committment, infidelity, abuse, poor communication, etc. Some of those reasons are petty. The offending party should get over his/her love of money (greed) or lack of committment or learn how to communicate better. However, the church should deal harshly with those who are abusive...those who are unable or unwilling to love thier wives as Christ loved the church.
Anyway, I want to discuss something that is horrible in America...that is our divorce rate. First of all, the bad news: Between 45 and 50% of all first marraiges end in divorce, according to the website Divorce Statistics. That is disgusting. It makes me ill.
However, the church's current stance on divorce is unacceptable. Why? Because it fails to accept the reasons behind divorce. I grant you happily and willingly that many divorces end for ungodly reasons. After all, Christ only gave one reason to end a marraige, that being infidelity. Unfortunately, divorce in America is not always caused by "no fault" reasons.
For example, did you know that approximately 32 million Americans are abused each year? Would you like a wife to stay with her abusive husband? And keep her kids in that marriage as well? I hope your answer is no.
Here is the problem. In our black and white world, the church will gloss over things that don't work right in the equation. Since divorce doesn't compute in the conservative evangelical's mind, then he or she must gloss over things like abuse.
Instead, we should be leading the world in holding abusive men accountable...and I mean old school accountable. In the Navy it was once called Deck Plate Counseling, although that's not allowed anymore so I can't say it. Ok, so that's too far probably, but I guarantee that our churches should be safe havens for women and children who have been abused. We should flock to them, hold them, comfort them, counsel them, and confront the abusive party. Instead of doing what we have done for too long: "Many churches encouraged women to stay in unhappy marriages, even those that were abusive."
Rev. Dick Klaver, senior pastor of Ferry Memorial Reformed Church in Montague (MI), said, "I'd hear people expounding how religion validates male violence. The church has covered up (domestic) violence by encouraging women to try harder ... to behave better ... and then you won't be beaten. That is a travesty."
It is a travesty. Stop worrying about divorce until you are willing to deal with abuse. And once you've worked on that, start next on adultery. Then start working on other reasons for divorce. Divorce is always the byproduct of something else. Whether it is money, lack of committment, infidelity, abuse, poor communication, etc. Some of those reasons are petty. The offending party should get over his/her love of money (greed) or lack of committment or learn how to communicate better. However, the church should deal harshly with those who are abusive...those who are unable or unwilling to love thier wives as Christ loved the church.
I am a Temple
"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
I have a slogan for running and healthy eating that I've started using. I don't expect it to be my official slogan forever, but it works for me now when I'm tired and don't want to work out or when I want a bag of chips between meals. Here it is: I am a Temple.
Granted, it's not very flashy, angry, militant, or even all that athletic. However, I am a believer, and as a believer, I have the Holy Ghost in me. This is something I've always ignored really, at least as far as how it relates to my body image and my eating.
Right now, I confess that I'm doing significant damage to the temple which is me. The rafters are rotten, the foundation is weak (my knees!), the walls are bloated with rot and "extra." But that's now the temple I'll be in the next several months.
The funny thing is that I'm asking God for his help in rebuilding his temple. I can't do this on my own because I'd run this temple into the ground if it were up to me. All success, therefore, is God's as the Holy Ghost rebuilds his temple within me.
I am a Temple.
I have a slogan for running and healthy eating that I've started using. I don't expect it to be my official slogan forever, but it works for me now when I'm tired and don't want to work out or when I want a bag of chips between meals. Here it is: I am a Temple.
Granted, it's not very flashy, angry, militant, or even all that athletic. However, I am a believer, and as a believer, I have the Holy Ghost in me. This is something I've always ignored really, at least as far as how it relates to my body image and my eating.
Right now, I confess that I'm doing significant damage to the temple which is me. The rafters are rotten, the foundation is weak (my knees!), the walls are bloated with rot and "extra." But that's now the temple I'll be in the next several months.
The funny thing is that I'm asking God for his help in rebuilding his temple. I can't do this on my own because I'd run this temple into the ground if it were up to me. All success, therefore, is God's as the Holy Ghost rebuilds his temple within me.
I am a Temple.
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