God/relationship/Running

First Day Of Retirement in Honor of Terry Fink a Child of God.

Posted on by Carl / 4 Comments

I woke up this AM a little afraid. I had no place to go. I had no plan for the day. I have been going to AT&T/Southern Bell/Bell South/AT&T data centers for 41 years. They laid me off after 41 years? 47% of the people laid off in my department were over 60, but AT&T would never discriminate because of age. That was what all the HR classes said for 41 years. I trusted them completely —  lol!

Enough complaining!

It was a great day! There is life after corporate America. I would have never quit. I would have been there until I died! You have to go to work. You have to slave all the days of your life. I truly believed that? Thank God he took me out kicking and screaming. Most of the good things in my life, God has to lead me kicking and screaming. Of course, my 44 year old son-in-law Terry Fink died on Friday. I realized that life is more than making money. Some battles are bigger than that Class 1 project that has to be completed today. Some battles cost a huge price for everyone involved. Going to lunch with my grieving family is more important than the projects at AT&T. Picking up my grieving grand babies is more important than the projects at AT&T.

EVERYTHING I DID TODAY WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN PROJECTS AT AT&T!

This is a DAILY RUN WITH GOD blog. I had a great 4 mile run with my father this AM. I didn’t have to rush. I meet my grieving daughter at her clinic and we had a father/daughter time for just a few minutes. My run was so great. It was the first day in the 30’s here in NC this fall. The stress of 5 months melded out of my body. The ups and downs all seemed to fade away as I ran and had fellowship with my Father. Cancer is EVIL! It destroyed Terry’s body and life. In 2 days , he went from going to work to being paralyzed.  Terry spent a lot of time talking to his Father (God) his last week on earth.

Jesus taught his disciples how to live with stress and grieve, after his murder:

John 20 : 19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! 

It is the PEACE given by the Holy Spirit that will take you through the hard places in life. God has GIVEN us all we need for life and godliness in his word. Running is the special time God has given me to worship and fellowship with him. God has that place for you too. I am 64, 5 feet 10 inches, 230 pounds. I should not be running, but God has given me this special time. You need to find that special place that will lead you into fellowship with the father. It could be in your room, garden, walking downtown and millions of other places. God has that place for you. One meaning of prayer is to kiss the face of God, you just need to find that place and God will show you that special place.

MIND CHANGE: God has given me everything I need for this life. It doesn’t come from money or position. It comes from relationship with God. He will meet you any where you will talk with him. Just go to your favorite place and he will meet you there. You just have to start talking too him. He is not angry!  He loves you no matter how you feel. He made you and understands your life and feelings.

PS: Joe Walsh of the Eagles sings these words: They say I’m lazy but it takes all my time! Retirement might be just what I need for a great relationship with my Father. God likes spending times with his kids. I think he liked Carl this morning with no place to go and just spending time with him. I know I enjoyed and needed his fellowship. It has been real bad for 3 years and he helped it all melt away with one simple run! Maybe I can get back to the real calling in my life -sharing the GOOD NEWS. Maybe he has a new place to meet you also.

 

Running

One Step at a Time – 5k or Marathon

Posted on by Carl / 2 Comments

We have now official entered the “my big old butt” days. Most people are trying to get off the excess from the holidays. I walked past the big bathroom mirror to catch a glimpse of my frame waddling by. I start another year getting rid of the extra pounds and excess of the past year.

When I use to run on greenways, this time of year had a surge of people out running and walking. Of course by February, most people have slipped back into their homes to complete another hum drum winter with no excitement until spring. There are a few that just keep going through the cold and boredom and keep on exercising no matter what the days and weeks of winter bring. If you are going to succeed at anything, you have to just keep going when it seems there is no change and you can’t see results.

Your spirit walk with the Lord is the same. You have many days that consist of just putting one foot in front of the other (of course that is how you finish a marathon – just putting one foot in front of the other for 26.2 miles). We get out of bed and do the same things over and over. I believe that is a place of great greatest spiritual and physical growth. You build leg strength by just putting one foot in front of the other for miles. You build muscle pushing weights rep after boring rep.

2 Corinthians 5:7  

For we live by faith, not by sight.

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we cannot see.

As you set your goals this year, determine to walk by faith in all areas. In your exercise, don’t get discouraged by what you see. Just keep moving your feet and doing another rep.

In your worship and prayer life, just keep on getting it done every day. Don’t be moved by how you feel or what you see. God is pleased. It is a blessing to have a child that just keeps praising by faith.

If you are sick, depressed, lonely or just tried, don’t be move by what you see or how you fell. Faith is being sure your Father will never leave you nor forsake you. Faith pushes on when there doesn’t seem to be a natural answer. Faith says: My God supplies all my needs according to HIS riches.

2 Peter 1 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mind Change: God has given me EVERYTHING I need for this life. He gave it to me by his Spirit. Today – by faith- I will receive from God what I need. I can’t see it, but by believing that God does not lie, I will complete my course and keep moving with no sign of change. When the results of your faith become visible, make sure you let others know that Your God is good all the time and His love never fails.

PS:  A Marathon is just one step at a time for 26.2 miles.   Easy – Peasy by Faith

Running

You Did a Few Good Things – God is Happy

Posted on by Carl / 2 Comments

The greatest feeling in my running life is the moment I finish a Marathon. Months and months of grinding out hours of running. In those months, I live through pain, cold, heat, dehydration, runners high and long hours of being alone. But when I cross that finish line all the pain, cold, etc. vanishes for a few minutes and I feel wonderful. But after the high wears off, the pain of recover starts.

When a women is carrying a baby, there are months of pain, uncomfortable hours, joy of the baby moving, sometime sickness, swollen parts and hours you feel alone. But when that baby is laid on your chest, all the pain and months of problems fade away at the sight of the baby. Of course when the baby is taken to the hospital nursery, the pain of recover starts.

Every Christmas, we run around for day’s spending money. We get ready for the big meal. We fight the crowds to get a gallon of milk. We scrimp and save and then spend money we don’t have. Then Christmas day comes and for a few minutes it is wonderful. The kids are playing with the box the $100 toy came in and the food smells wonderful. The family is all together and all is right in the world. Of course, you wake up December 26th with a new feeling. Your clothes don’t fit. You have a food and drink hangover and the bank account is empty. You remember the slide remark someone made yesterday. You start to look over the past year, as New Year’s comes on. You remember the love ones that were not there this year. The Accuser of the Brethren (your enemy) starts to tell you how bad things are and you put on 10 pounds. He tells you how bad you suck at life and the bills will never get paid!

DON’T CRASH THIS YEAR – GOD LOVES YOU –  Does anything else really matter?

I have gone through a 2 year battle that is finally coming to a “good” finish this week. I started thinking this week about how I had just missed God this whole two years. It didn’t go my way, SO BY THE TRADITIONS OF MEN – I must have missed God somewhere! My faith was just not strong enough. I was too carnal minded. I should have zigged, when I should have zagged!

Well thank God for his fellowship , because in my early morning worship this verse came out of my spirit:

Matthew 25:23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Listen, you have been faithful with a few things this year. If we could be perfect, there would be no need for Jesus. But we all need a Savior! DON”T GET DEPRESSED this year. Come and share in your Master’s happiness. God is happy today and he will be with you all day. Don’t let the Accuser beat you up. You are a child of God and he is pleased. The Word says: without faith it is impossible to please God. I know you have faith in God’s son or you would not be reading this. Let your joy today be in the fact that your Father is happy with you.

Mind Change: I have been faithful in a “few things” and so today I will share in the Lord’s happiness over my faith. God loves me and everything else is a zero with the rim knocked off! Today is the Day the Lord has made and I will rejoice WITH him!

Running

Peace on Earth and Goodwill to Men

Posted on by Carl / 2 Comments


Running and walking for me is a great release of stress. The pressure of the world can sometimes force me to the trail on non-run days. I believe exercise is a God-given way to help us cope during times of testing . Of course, we don’t always cause our stress. We live in a fallen world that will always be flawed by sin, because Adam and Eve’s decided to know the “Knowledge of Evil”. I have struggled with the same thing myself over the last 60 plus years. (lol)  Grandpa Adam was just the first of us!

God has also given us a Spiritual way to deal with stress!

Around 2000 years ago, our heavenly Father  sent his Son to mankind. God told Satan in the garden, after the fall, that he would correct the mess created that day. God’s peace is not a peace between men, but a peace between God and man. God got all excited the night Jesus was born.  God sent his Angels to some old boys out in the fields watching their sheep. God’s sacrifice for sin was in the earth. The war between God and man was over. He had His sacrifice was on the earth to take away every past, present and future sin for all of mankind.

On the night Jesus was born into the world, I believe God had a wonderful day of rejoicing over His creation . I believe all of heaven got excited over the birth of the new God/man – the Savior of the world.

   Luke 2: 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

We live in the greatest age mankind has ever known. We are at peace with God. He is not angry and loves every man, woman and child born on the earth. The pressure is off and if you re-new your mind, you will have peace with God through The Anointed Savior – Jesus Christ.

Thirty years later, John the cousin of Jesus had this to say:

    John:1: 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Mind Change: God is no longer angry with men over sin. The sacrifice of His Son takes away the sin of the world. If you have received Christ Jesus as your Savior, the price for your sin has been paid. His blood was put on the altar in the Holy of Holies and you are at peace with God. You are Born Again into God’s Kingdom and family. Talk with your Father this season! He wants to hear from you every day. According to the Word, you were made for His pleasure. Prayer is just you talking with the Father.

Merry Christmas to all and to all peace with God!

 

Running

Life is a Marathon – Training Can be Easy

Posted on by Carl / 4 Comments


When you are my age and size sprinting is just not part of the life style. Over the last 15 years, I tried to play softball several times and each time pulled a calf muscle on the first sprint to catch a ball or run a base. It was really pitiful to be laid up on the bench, after running so many jogging miles. The sprint and marathon use different muscles and movement in your legs. I can jog all day, but one good sprint and I am hugging the bench for several days.

Overall, our walk/run with God is a marathon. I have tried to sprint in my spiritual life for years also. It usually works out about the same as my softball games. I get all excited over a Word that someone shared, but it takes time to become spirit minded and change our carnal minds. We are so carnally minded that a spiritual change may take years. When I started learning about the real grace of God (unmerited favor), it took years to start believing God loves me – because he is love. I still struggle and fight a lifelong believe that I have to earn the love of God. I will start with grace, but usually at some point get “deceived” by my enemy and start “working” for God’s love. If you are earning God’s love, that is a wage and not a gift.

There are times we need to sprint in our spirits, but you have to train to be a sprinter. If I trained to sprint, I could do it without an issue, but I never train. For many years, I only trained once or twice a week in the spirit realm. I would go to church twice a week and expect to run in the spirit realm on 2 training days a week?

Are you training a couple of days a week to run with God or do you spent some time each day with your trainer the Holy Spirit?

Do you know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, be we do it to get a crown that will last forever.              1 Corinthians 9: 24-25

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.    Hebrews 12 1-2

In your spiritual life, we have sprints and marathons. I would say that most changes will come from training our carnal minds over long periods of time. During a major crisis, we may have to sprint but make sure you have trained for the short fast runs and long slow runs. Jesus has perfected our faith in himself and given us the gift and measure of faith. We have to keep our eyes on him each day through fellowship of praise, worship and mediation on his word. Fellowship with the Lord is not hours of praying and Bible study. You could mediate on the two verses above for the next month and just talk to the Lord about them each day. The Spirit of God dwelling in us will help with  “repenting-mind changes” and spend time with you to guide you. The Word says we have the mind of Christ. God loves you and will spend time with you each day. The true nature of God is revealed to us by spending time loving him each day.

Mind Change: My spiritual growth is a lifelong pursuit developed by daily fellowship with the Lord. If we spend time each day in fellowship with the Lord, his Spirit will lead us in the path we should take and fill us with His love. We have a hard time resolving problems when we lean on our own carnal minds for guidance. When we renew our minds to God’s Word and daily fellowship, life just becomes easier. Bodily exercise makes our bodies stronger and spiritual exercise makes our spirit and mind stronger.

P.S. – My daily fellowship is listening to the New Testament on my way to work. I walk or run early and just pray (talk with the Lord) and praise. It is not hard nor a burden, he is my father. By the way, one meaning of prayer is too “kiss the face of God”. Does that sound hard? I kiss my wife every day before I leave for work, so kissing my Father is not a burden.