The six of you that have subscribed to reading my blog are probably wondering where I have been for the last 9 days.  Well… last Saturday I got the call that I needed to leave for Australia the next day.  So, as I write this I am sitting in 80 degree weather in Melbourne Australia.  It is 1:13am back home but already 5:13pm tomorrow here.  I have a ton of things to write about from the trip but do not have time.  I promise to catch everyone up as soon as I can though.  Stay tuned!

P.S. Heather got to come with too and my parents were willing to take the boys for 2 weeks on such short notice.  How it all worked out I will never be able to explain.  More on that later too.

I had a friend contact me today with the following story:

A close trusted friend of mine has an urgent need.  During the hurricanes in Mississippi, many of his family members lost their homes.  His brother lost everything and came to live with him and his family for a short time.  He helped his brother’s family get back on their feet, but in the process fell behind on his own mortgage.  The mortgage company has given him until Monday the 22^nd or they will begin the foreclosure proceedings.

My friend is a solid Christian.  Though he has nothing, he works in his community to provide for the kids that have less and coordinates their local sports (football and basketball).  He is frugal and thrifty.  He only asks for assistance as a last result.

I consider myself a generous person.  But, this is a complete stranger and I just gave money to Bikes or Bust at my Church.  On top of that there is the December 24th gift offering at church and all the other gifts and costs that go along with Christmas.  I could easily walk away from this opportunity to use God’s money he has trusted me with and still feel like a generous person.

I could do that.  But I fear that Matthew 25:35-40 would ring in my ears for a long time if I did:

I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

What about you?  Are you generous?  How firmly do you hold onto God’s money that he has entrusted you with?  Could you help a complete stranger just because someone you knew passed their story along?

P.S. If you feel like you would like to help this particular “least of these brothers of mine” let me know and I can give you the details.

My church is putting on an event to raise money to buy bikes for kids in our area that otherwise may not get anything from Santa this Christmas.  For 50 hours, members of our church staff are spending their time 50 feet above the ground in a scissor lift in a local Walmart parking lot to raise the money for 200+ bikes.  You can donate and check things out live at www.bikesorbust.net.  We went by to check things out last night and Chase got a chance to meet Santa.

First things first… I am not comtemplating suicide or ending it all so there is no need to rush to my aid.  I just wonder if anyone else has ever had that same question?  Maybe it would be better to ask if anyone has ever not asked themselves this question.  This morning I was reading in 1 Chronicles as I ate my breakfast.  This is a part of the Bible I normally skip over because it is pretty boring.  I don’t really care who fathered who, who then went on to father so-and-so.  Most the names I cannot even pronounce anyway.  As I finished reading the geanology of one of the tribes I noticed, “And these are the they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the LORD.”  Then it hit me.  Many of the people listed before this verse it only said, “so-and-so fathered so-and-so” within nothing more important after it.  What does this mean?  Does it mean that some people are simply placed on earth just to raise the next geeration?  Is it possible that Shane fathered Chad and Chase and while I may not do great things one of them might?  I know this is pretty deep thinking for a Monday morning but thought I would pass it on anyway.

Week 3 is over… only 15 to go.  I am watching the IronMan on tv while I am writing this and starting to understand how incredible those people are.  Not only do they run a marathon but they also ride a bike 112 miles and do an ocean swim of 2.4 miles.  It is hard enough just to train and think about the 26.2 miles that I am trying to get ready for.

Today’s long run was *only* 5 miles.  Here are our times:

• Me & JR: 47:10 (9:26 per mile average)
• Steph: 52:32 (10:30 per mile average)
• Todd: 56:36 (11:03 per mile average)

Another great job by everyone, especially Todd who knocked 11 seconds of his pace.  Next week is the 9 mile run.  I have updated the training schedule again to show my progress so far.

P.S. Craig Alexander completed the IronMan Championship in Hawaii in 8:17:45 (51:43 swim, 4:37:19 bike, and 2:45:00 run).  That’s a 6:17 average mile after the swim and bike.  Wow!!