There is Hope!

We can look at life's circumstances and wonder when things will ever change.

We cry out for a transformation in our lives.

We long to be more like Jesus.

We want answers to our prayers.

We contend for change in our lives, our marriages, our families, our finances, and our relationships.

We wonder when we will ever be out of the pit.

We wonder when it will become a new season.

Yet, it seems like things stay the same.  A battle rages within our minds: Will it ever be different?  Will we be stuck with the same issues all our lives?  Will we ever be free?  Is there hope?  Is anything actually going on?

There is hope
I know many people who have been going through serious things in the past several years. After months, years, even decades of struggles, we can be tempted to succumb to the belief that things won't change.  We wonder if there has been any progress.  We wonder if God really will change us.  In the midst of the battle, our faith becomes weak.  We can only see from our own perspective, which is probably not the best one.  Recently, as I was out running, God allowed me to see a different perspective.

I was running along, and it was a challenging day.  I was a bit discouraged because it didn't feel like my running was any easier.  Here I've been running quite a bit for many months, and yet almost every time it is a challenge.  I can feel the strain on my body, I can feel tired, I am continually wanting to just quit, I have to push through the challenge of my body just wanting to sit on the couch.  Many times, a few miles into it, I have the temptation to just stop running for the day. So, this day as I was running, I was questioning why it is constantly a challenge, wondering when it would ever get easier.  Surely by this time, I should just be able to glide across the ground, mile after mile, smiling and not even breaking a sweat.  I should feel like the wind is gently whispering through my hair, birds are singing, the world is cheering me on, that I could just run the entire distance across the USA, that I could talking easily while running, not even breathing heavily.  Right?  No.  It is not that way. 

I use an app on my iPhone that keeps track of all of my runs.  It tracks my speed, my mileage, my minutes per mile, and even gives monthly totals and averages.  It was then that God reminded me that I am making progress.  As I look at my performance statistics, I can see that I now run a few minutes per mile faster, I run further, I am less tired, I have quicker recovery, I have lost over 35 pounds, and I feel way better than I used to.  What God showed me is that as I have gotten in better shape, my body allows me to push for new challenges.  My body takes me to another level.  I continue to challenge myself, as I overcome one obstacle, I immediately strive to attain the next.  At one point it was all I could do to run one minute, then 10, then a mile, then 5k, now I'm up to seven miles and continuing to push myself to new levels.

Spiritually speaking
Then God began to encourage me about my life.  Just as I felt like things were not improving while running, when in fact they were, other things in my life were also improving.   It didn't mean that all challenges just went away.  It didn't mean that now life was all grand and wonderful.  But in the midst of opposition and challenges, I was being strengthened.  I was getting in better "spiritual shape."  Challenges continue to be there, pushing me to be even more reliant upon His grace.

For all of us
May this be an encouragement to us all.  In the midst of our storms of life, I would wager to say that things actually have been happening.  It may not be fun, it may be painful, it may be that God is stripping away layers of our own righteousness, it may be that now we are feeling less spiritual.  But it is all a process.  The goal is not for us to be happy.  The goal is not for us to be rich, good-looking, and on top of the world all the time.  Christianity is a mess.  It messes us up.  It makes us not even recognize our old selves.  Jesus comes in, and rearranges the house, tearing down all that is not of him.  The goal is for Him to be King, for Him to increase and us to decrease, for us to reflect His true love.  And that is a painful process.  He wants to beat the "crap" out of all of us.  So the stripping away, the circumstances we go through, the loss we suffer, the anguish in our souls, are all part of the "training program."  We are being changed!  We are making progress!  We are being strengthened in the very core of our beings!

In the midst of it all, our perspective says nothing is happening.  But that it not true.  God is doing a good work in you and He is faithful to complete it.  He will make a church that is a glorious bride.  He is always with us, never forsaking us.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever - not just "being nice" to us sometimes and "abandoning us" or "being mean" to us at other times.  Just like the running challenges I face, He continually places challenges before us.  Eventually, we learn to rely upon Him, allowing Him to carry us - broken and humbled - through the storms. 

Don't give in to the lies.  Things are changing!  You are being transformed into His likeness.  You are overcoming!  You are not alone! God is good - all the time - in the "good" times and the "bad" times.  The church is become stronger.  You are victorious.  In the end, we win.

Keith

Running. There's Nothing Like It.

Running. There is nothing like it. The feeling of gliding over the ground. The feeling of exhilaration of accomplishment. The excitement of racing against time and hundreds of other competitors. The euphoria of crossing the finish line, completing another race. The ability to drink in the wonders of nature through the changing seasons. The satisfaction of a new Personal Record. The feeling of stress leaving your body. The sigh of completing another running opportunity.

I saw a running T-shirt that said "My sport is your sport's punishment." It made me laugh. When you get in trouble in basketball, football, or baseball, the coach "punishes" you by making you run laps. But what if running is not the punishment, but the delight? What if running is actually enjoyable? A year ago, I would have laughed at the very idea. But now I think I want to buy that T-shirt.

Background
In another blog article - here - I describe how, at the beginning of 2012, I was in bad shape. For the two years prior, I had some health issues that resulted in 35 pounds of additional weight gain, complete loss of energy, and I was very discouraged & depressed. I was now 50 pounds overweight, I struggled through work, and by the time I got home, I pretty much didn't get off the couch.

My initial goal was to lose weight, but I discovered a new passion in the process. I am so excited about running now; I love it. So I wanted to share my excitement of the sport with you and my progressive journey to get there in hopes that you will enjoy as much as I do and enjoy the health benefits along the way.

First things first
As I described in the other blog article, on January 1st, 2012, I could only jog for one minute on the treadmill. At the end of the running, my back hurt horribly due to too much weight on my chest. I decided not to attempt jogging until I had lost about 20 pounds. Jogging/running is a challenge to the body, especially the knees and the back. If you are too overweight, you could end up damaging your body instead of benefiting from running. So, please take it slow. Lose enough weight before attempting any jogging. Walking or speed-walking, along with other exercise & being on a healthy diet will help you lose some of the weight before jogging. Also, proper running shoes are expensive, but necessary to avoid injuries.

The Early Years
When I was younger, I was in very good shape, athletic, and did well at many sports. Basketball was my favorite, which involves huge amounts of running up and down the court. I could easily play for three or four hours without getting very tired. The same was true for other sports. I was also very competitive and always wanted to be the top-ranked in any of the sports in PE class. I did not want to lose; I did not want anyone else better than me. However, running as a sport was never an interest for me. I didn't care if someone else did better. I thought the sport was stupid and pointless. I think the most I ever ran was one mile, since that was a PE class requirement. I was ranked in about the middle of the class.

Interest in Running
I'm not sure exactly what sparked the interest to begin running. I knew that it was a good way to burn calories. I had been sitting so much at my job and on the couch at home. I was desperate for my body to be alive and to feel energetic. Once I lost the 20 pounds, my chest felt much lighter and I felt like I could jog. I enjoy being able to see progress, so I think part of it is that jogging is very easy to gauge progress. I can easily tell if I am faster/slower and if I have went further than the day before.

Initial steps
In order to become a jogger, I did the following:

• I started very slow. I walked on the treadmill for months. Over the course of a workout, I began to increase the elevation so that it became more difficult. Then I'd decrease the elevation but increase the speed just a bit. It began to trick my body into being able to handle a better cardio workout without actually jogging.
• I increased the distance I walked. I started at 20 minute sessions and increased those to 50 minute sessions.
• Finally, I began jogging during a session, starting at 3 minutes. Each week, I increased it by a minute.
• Someone posted a Facebook status about loving a book called "Born to Run". I checked out the eBook and it totally inspired me to do even more running. With the book and with the noticeable progress being made, I had even more motivation to run.
• Next, I began trying to walk for a while, then jog for a few minutes, then walk again, etc. I slowly began to be able to jog for longer durations, while walking less in-between jogs.
• In July, while on vacation, I was able to walk/jog an entire 5k (3.11 miles). I was jogging for 5 minutes, walking for 2 minutes, then repeating. I was very excited about this, since I could see the huge amount of progress being made.
• I then downloaded a free iPhone app called Couch-to-5k. This is a nine-week program that trains you to going from being unable to run to being able to run a 5k. I jumped in at week 4 since I was already able to do some jogging. I completed this program in September, meaning I could jog non-stop for over 30 minutes, completing a 5k.
• I signed up for an actual 5k race, since that had become one of my goals.
• I practiced running a 5k several times, and in October, 2012, my son Jonah and I actually participated in the 5k. I placed 46th out of 130, in 31:45 minutes!

Perspective change
As time progressed, I noticed a major perspective change concerning running. At first, I saw it as a necessary means to an end. It was so difficult. I would be exhausted, drenched in sweat, and just barely enduring to the end. Slowly it got a bit easier. Then, in reading the "Born to Run" book, I discovered that running really is good for the mind. I could use that time to enjoy the scenery, clear my head, and enjoy the outdoors. I began to look at it more from a "I get to run" perspective instead of a "I have to endure this" perspective. I took lots of different routes, saw new neighborhoods, and sometimes drove to other locations to enjoy a change of scenery. Running began to change from a task to something I enjoyed. I began to think, "Oh, this is great weather to go for a jog." I actually began to crave wanting to go out running, regardless of the weather. Now I love it; there is just an incredible feeling of challenging yourself to run further or faster than you thought possible. I love the feeling of accomplishing yet another goal. I love being able to have the time to think, to pray, to just be - without all the distractions of life. I love being outside in all kinds of weather - hot, cold, rainy, misting. And running in the dark is awesome.

Progress since that first 5k

• I immediately set new goals - running further, running faster.
• On Thanksgiving morning, Jonah and I ran a 3.75 mile race.
• A few days ago, I ran my first 10k (6.2 miles).
• I have improved my minutes per mile of continuous running from a mid-11 minute mile to now a high 8-minute mile.
• I've incorporated intervals into my running, so I run at a steady pace for a time period, then run fast for a time period. I keep repeating that process for 20 minutes. It is very difficult, but it helps build endurance and speed, and helps provide the ability to run fast at the end of a race instead of stumbling across the line.

In October, it was a challenge to run 5k; I do that now without even thinking anything of it. That means I have set my goals higher, and it is easy to see the progress I've made.

Current goals
While there are many reasons to run, goals help keep me focused. Feel free to help keep me accountable and encourage me in my current goals:

• Run faster. I want to reach an 8:30 minute mile average on a 5k. Longer term, I want to break into the 7 minute mile timeframe.
• Run further. I sort of accomplished this goal a few days ago. I have wanted to run a 10k. I did that around the neighborhood at a slow, steady pace. But I want to do a real race, really running. My goal now is to do that in 55 minutes.  I just ran my first 10k in 63:44, so I have to shave off almost 9 minutes. I am doing a 10k training program that will increase my endurance and my speed.
• Increase my interval amounts. Currently I run steady for 2 minutes, then sprint for 20 seconds, repeating several times. I want to increase that to a point of running steady for 5 minutes and running fast for 5 minutes; repeating for 20 minutes.
• Sign up for more races. I've already scoped out several races that I really want to participate in during 2013. Races challenge me and it is fun to run in new locations.
• Be contagious. I'd love to see more of my family and friends begin this journey and we can all enjoy the benefits and the fun of running.

My hope is that as you read this, it placed a desire within you to run. I'm not going to deny it: running is very challenging and sometimes is just brutal. But it is so rewarding. The benefits for your health, for your mind, and even for your spirit are great. It is an incredible feeling to have the satisfaction and realization that you are doing something that a short time ago you may have felt was impossible. In our lives, we may sell ourselves short concerning our physical abilities, our beliefs in ourselves, and our beliefs that we can accomplish something in life. Getting a faster time won't have eternal consequence, but it can have an effect upon how we view ourselves. When we recognize that there is much more in us than than we realize, we may have the confidence to then achieve something truly great! May we tap into our potential and in the process enjoy an incredible sport!

Running. There is nothing like it.