5K

Faith:

I am having to remind my self of God's faithfulness Psalm 18:2 "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold"

With Sarah's illness for the last year or more this has become so real to me.  With out the knowledge of the faithfulness of the Lord I would feel so lost.  I love that I have a God that is that I can run to and rest in.  

When I am weak he is strong and right now I am weak....Thank you God for being Strong

Fitness:

I have not been running much lately, but I am wanting to change this.  This weekend I was wanting to go for a bike, but Alex wanted to go too so I decide to run.  My running and his biking speed are almost the same....Almost.

I was doing good for the first mile and half but he kind got faster...I was awesome to have him there to push me along.  I finished with a 5k of 27min or so...not too bad for an impromptu run

update:  I am up to 50 push-ups....still looking to get 80.

New Gear

Faith:

I love when a sermon that I hear fits right with what I feel that God was already saying to me.
This just happened this last Sunday.  They were talking about becoming more involved in the loves of people around us and making deep lasting relationships.  This last year with Sarah being sick has made connecting with people harder.  Mostly just because she has not felt well enough to get together with people.  We have both wanted too so its been a struggle, but with her getting better this is starting to change.

What I really think though is that no matter what is going on in our lives we should be plugged in and making an impact.  I look at the early church and people were selling everything to help one another, living together, and just sharing life.  Now days its all about "me" not "us".  I for one want to change this in my life.  I am starting to ask God to open doors for me everyday to live this out.

Join in with me and lets make a change, that is so different from the cultural norm that people stop and ask us "what is different about us"

Fitness:

Got some new gear from Rouge Fitness! jump rope and some grips for doing pull-ups.  I love the grips, I have for al long time had to deal with big callouses on my hands from doing pull-ups.  They can rip off while working out...not fun...but with the new grips I will not have to worry any more.

Now I got to start using it I guess :)

Work out partners

Family:

Ok so this is a bit of a work out thing too, but today the girls worked out with me.  This is not the first time but its one of my favorite things about working out at home.  Sometime I wish I went to a gym to have some better equipment but at home I have the best partners.  Today we started by doing some pull ups together.  Then while I was working away I look over and the girls are doing the same work out as I was.  I was flipping my big tire and they were trading off flipping it back and forth.  Its awesome to set a example for them of a healthy lifestyle.


Fitness:

I just started a new thing to work on one of my weakness...Push ups.  I read a blog post talking about a guy wanting to increase his max pushups.  So I took the challenge and its been going really good.
How it works is every day you do one set of push ups till you fail.  I started at 36 and in just a few days that number is going up.  You can start at any level and work up from there.  My goal is 80 and I will keep working on it till I get it :)

Do you have Vision

Faith:

I have been reading about "vision" and what that looking like in your life.   I read that the primary dimension of wholeness in a mans life is vision.  As a follower of Jesus this becomes even more real in my life.  Vision comes from a revaluation of God, but also spiritual understanding, and "good character".  I have also heard it another way...That when we are seeking the voice or "vision" of God that if we are in right relationship and seeking his will we will know his vision because we are aligning our heart with his.

I have struggled with this for a long time.  To know the "vision" or will of God in my life.  But lately I am just resting in his presence and trying to listen to his heart by alining mine with his.

Fitness:

For the last few days I have not been doing to working out much.  I did go on a longer run.  It was the first that I have done sense I hurt my foot.  The run was really good, and I kept a nice pace.  I started to forger how much I like running.

Karen

Faith:

For the last few days I have been feeling like I needed to synch up with God.  I have been feeling this strong desire to spend more time with God, and just listen.  I find my self going to God with my own agenda so often but thats not how a relationship is built.  A highlight of this was during Alex's soccer practice, I was waiting in the car but I felt that I should go for a walk.  While walking I quieted my mind and just listened to God.  It got even better when I started singing and half way through the song I realized the words to the song were about waiting on the Lord and he would lead me day by day. It was such an awesome time....So I encourage you this week to take a moment and quiet your self long enough to hear the Lord.



Fitness:

Still sore three days later...Yes I am.  Not a bad sore just "feeling it" still.  A few of my friends and I post Crossfit workouts and a lot of them have names.  This one that he posted was named Karen, it is 150 wall ball shots for time.  For this work out you take a medicine ball and do 150 wall ball shots.  It sounds so easy because its only a 20lbs ball but after about the first 75 or so it starts feeling like 100lbs. When he posted it I tried to remember the last time that I did it, it was over two years ago, but I remembered that it hurt....I was right, but I beat his time...so it was worth it.

Running with the Squat

Faith:

2 Peter 1:10, 11 NIV
"Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

As I read this this morning the thing that stood out to me the most is the Jesus emphasis on the "eternal kingdom"  I get so caught up in the day to day life that I forget this.  I feel sometimes like I live in a ground hog day kind of routine.  I forget to live for the eternal.

Living for the eternal is something that God has spoke to me so much before, and it makes me a bit sad how easily I forget.  Life is so short and if I am just trying to get by without thinking of eternity I am missing out on divine appointments that God has for me.  This could be a conversation with a friend that I would rather avoid or taking to a stranger at the store.  I do know that if I have my mind on eternity I will be more open to what God have for me in the here and now.



Fitness:

For the last weeks when I have gone for a run I have been incorporating doing squats in to my runs.  I have ran 2 miles doing 50 squats every .5 miles and I have also ran a mile doing 10 squats every minute.  This has been a really fun way to mix up running.

I think that squat is one of the best exercises that you can do.  Its something that we all do every day to some degree.  I have heard a lot of people say "I can't squat I have a bad knee" Or something like that.  I think that the issue really is understanding the mechanics of the squat and understanding your own "sticking points"  What I mean by this is that you might now be able to squat because you have tight hamstrings, hips, or ankles.

Ok here is the challenge, try some squats tomorrow :)


Here are two awesome vids to help with the fundamentals of the squat and one that helps to fix sticking points.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkczkPm5emE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBHzXF-mVjY

New Best Friend

Family:

For the last two months or so my life has been much busier then normal.  In this time I have really struggled with having quality time with my wife and kids.  The big thing that I have realized is that it's not about the big events but all about the little things.  The moments in time were I put aside the things that I might want to do and spend them with my kids. Taking 20 extra minutes at bed time to read an extra book instead of rushing them to bed so I can watch tv.  

I think that even when life slows back down (I hope soon) I will still want to remember this lesson because life never really slows down and the only time that I have is now so I better use it wisely. 


Fitness:

As I have been ramping up my workouts lately I have been a lot more sore.  Not a bad kind of sore but stiff and tight.  Maybe I am just getting older too.  (I am 30 after all)  Here are 2 ways that I have found to relieve a lot of upper-back and also leg pain.

I have discovered the magic of self massage using a Foam roller and lacrosse balls.  I am a huge fan of both of these things. After a hard workout or just a long day I will roll around on them for 10 min or so and it helps so much.  

For the lacrosse ball I use it on my upper back and shoulders. It really loosens tight spots right up.

With the foam roller I use it on my legs...just roll around anyplace that you have some pain.

Here is a vid of one way to use the lacrosse ball...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-lNjsBVBwg

On a road to ?

Faith:


5 year plan
10 year plan
Where do you want to go, and do and be?

These are things I hear about and things that I see all over our culture....But does it fit with the culture of Jesus?

I know that we should plan and think ahead...but all Jesus said was follow me.  Oh ya and to deny our selves!

Matthew 6:24 "Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

I think thats the hard part.

I like a 5 year plan, its nice and clean and orderly, But thats not always life, life is messy and can change at any second.

I think the key to the "follow me"  is to make sure that it is Jesus and not me.


In life I don't think I need to know where I am  headed as long as I have Jesus in the lead I know I will be on the right track...Where ever it leads to in 5 years.


(just some thoughts I have been having lately)

Bent and broken

Faith:

2 Corinthians 12:9

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Sometimes in life things get hard and that's just life. "Suck it up" & "life's not fair" 

Right? 

That's what we hear at least and I think it's true. What I am learning though is it's ok to be week. Because it's not until we are weak do we see what (or who) our foundation really is. 

Fitness:

Well loos like I am going to getting a new weight bar soon I hope. I just bent my newest one after snapping my last one 4 months ago. Time to step up from the cheep play it again sports bars. 

First Run...Painful

Faith:

I have been in a long season of not knowing what God is doing and trying to trust him.  Sarah has been sick for over a year now and it is taking a tole on every aspect of our lives.  I know life is not easy but wow, I am ready for some good stuff to happen.

I was talking to Alex about this verse yesterday and I feel like it was more for me to remember then to tell him.  Funny how God does that sometimes.  

Proverbs 3:5-6

New International Version (NIV)

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.

Fitness:

So two months ago I was running a lot...well a lot for me. 10 miles a week or so.  I was also doing a lot of sprints and hill sprints.  Then I got a tun of pain in the top of my foot.  I hate going to the Dr but it got so bad I went, thinking I might have a fracture or something.  Well the results came back that my foot was ok, maybe tendentious, but I had pre-arthritis in my big toe.  
So I took two months off.

In this time I did start using Blue Emu Oil.  It is amazing at relieving muscle pain.  I have found that it does help some with my foot. What it has helped the most with though is sore muscles haver a workout. I put it on before bed and wake up feeling a lot less sore then normal...check it out and try it http://www.blue-emu.com 


This last week I went on my first run, I kept it short 1.5mi.  My foot hurt, but I think that its going to for a long time.

Has anyone else had pain like this?  If so what did you do?

11 years of Awesomeness

Faith:

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Yesterday I celebrated my 11 year anniversary with my wife.  I always love my anniversary because it is a time that I can look back and think my life with my wife.  

When I read Ephesians 2:10 I am reminded of not only all the amazing things that I have been able to do but of all then things that God has for me.  My anniversary highlights this for me because of how my wife completes me and how much of a team we are and have become over the years.

Today take time to think of the things that God has for you, its what you were created to do! 

Fitness:

This one looked really fun.....Wrong!  Found it off www.cfnorcal.com

They said pick your weight but you could not put the bar down till the situps.

What makes this hard is you are able to deadlift a lot more then you can Overhead lounge so picking the weight is tricky...I started with 110lbs and dropped it to 90lbs after the 2nd round.  

If you what a challenge try this workout.  

Beach Break...

Family:
Just got back from an amazing time at Long Beach with my family.  It was just with my wife, kids, mom, dad, and my nieces and nephews.  It was so fun to hang with them, time has flown by and they are all getting a lot older.

The hard part for me at the beach is that one of the kids is missing...Luke.  I think that for the rest of my life when I step on the sandy cold shores of a NW beach I will think of the fun times I had with Luke on the beach, playing in the sand and waves.

Love you buddy!!



Fitness:
Played in the waves with Jack and Jake.  ( oh and tackled Jack)
Hit the long boards with Jake too.  No crashes this time ;)

Deadlift + Burpees = Sweat Angel

Family:

Today is an awesome day.  Today my baby girl is 4.  She is such a blessing to our family.

This morning she walked down stairs after waking up to her floor covered in balloons (a birthday tradition) singing "balloons on my flo" over and over.  To witch we all had a good laugh and then said happy birthday.

Fitness:

Crossfit "Donny"  

21-15-9-9-15-21

Deadlifts @150lbs and Burpees.

time - 14:43

This was a hard one but I pushed it hard and finished a lot faster then I thought I would.
I sweet more after this then I have in a long time, deadlifts and burpees is a killer combo!!

Back at it

I am restarting this blog back up.  I have had this idea on my mind for a long time of posting thoughts on the Bible and also workouts / fitness stuff.  I would love this to be a very interactive kind of blog where ideas and thoughts are shared...so I encourage you to reply with your thoughts.

Faith:

 I just finished reading 1 Kings...What I cam a way with is that our lives carry heavy consequences in our kids lives.  Looking at how the different kings of Israel led they country was similar to how there decedents led the country.

The other big thing I got was that its so easy to forget the things that God has done and how faithful he is day after day...They would see him work but then follow the idols that were around them.
I feel like I need to continually look back and thank God for his faithfulness so I can remeber for hard times that will come.



Fitness: 

I biked off-road a 10K and every 2 min would stop and alternate 5 push-up and 10 squats.

Sounded easy but kicked my but....Finished in 35:40 min.