It has been another great week. The weather has been interesting to say the least here in the valley. I’ve worn everything from rain jacket/windbreakers to sweats to a t-shirt and shorts to run in and everything in-between. The greatest difference was from Monday to Tuesday. Monday, I had my rain jacket on with shorts and tights and Tuesday I had on a t-shirt and shorts. We have really been having an interesting winter. We have several days ahead that are going to be spring-like if not summer-like with highs in the mid 60′s (At the beginning of February.) Then the temps are to return to some semblance of normal.

Speaking of running, this has been a good week once again. I completed all my regular runs in the early part of the week and then yesterday I went for a long, slow run that turned out really well – 11.92 miles in 1:52:28 – for just over a 9:25/mile. Not bad at all. This is really setting me up well for the half-marathon in April. I love the fact that it will be a local race. I was looking at some other possibilities and there is a 10K (6.2 miles) in March that would make a great training run as well as looking into the future and the possibilities of running the Richmond Marathon in November. Temporarily I was down to 198 pounds this week, but weekends are killer for me. Why?

Well this week, we had a chili cook-off at church. It was a great time of fellowship and fun. We had some great chili as well. Parkway has some awesome cooks. One of the things I love about our chili cook-off is that none of the chili is really that hot. Yes, there were some hot chili’s but not so hot that you couldn’t enjoy them. I made two of our family’s favorites – Spanish Rice and Blue Ribbon Nacho Dip. Don’t even ask me for the recipe for the Spanish Rice – it’s not that I don’t want to give it to you, it’s one of those – a pinch of this, a dash of that recipes. I can tell you that I use a pound of ground beef. Yesterday I browned a pound of sausage and a ½ pound of ground beef – ½ an onion – half a green pepper – 2 cups of uncooked rice – a 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes – 8 oz. of salsa – and seasoning to taste (chili powder, cumin, seasoning salt, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika.) That is the tricky part. Forgot about the 4 cups of water. Like I said we had a great time, but I packed some calories in last night.

This morning we had a wonderful time of worship. The team did a great job and we sang some great songs. I have simply been amazed over the past few weeks as the Holy Spirit has come and visited with us – the Spirit’s presence was powerful as we sang this morning. My favorite part of the service was when we sang “The Love of God.” We do a hybrid version taking parts of the MercyMe arrangement and putting it with our own arrangement. Pastor Barry preached a great closing message in his series on Stewardship as we learned that Stewardship is a question of attitude.

This past week we got to visit with one of our fellow Wesleyan pastors who lives and ministers on the other side of the valley in Waynesboro. This evening I went over (James was sick) to their church for a concert and afterwards we had some cake and ice cream to celebrate his birthday. What a wonderful day of relaxation and worship.

This week finds us preparing for our church showing the movie “Courageous.” If you are in the Staunton, Waynesboro, Augusta County area, I encourage you to come to Parkway on Saturday night, February 4^th to view this powerful movie. The cost is free…

I am looking forward to what God has in store this week and I hope you are as well.

Seize the Day

This is my second attempt at writing this tonight.  I started writing this on Microsoft Word – offline.  We are using a G3 Wireless card and we pay for the data usage, so I try to limit my time online with the wireless card.  I was well into my second paragraph when Word just stopped — it hadn’t even autosaved, so I lost my first two paragraphs.  About the time I forced Word closed, I noticed that my laptop was picking up a wi-fi signal from the church.  I wasn’t quite able to logon, but earlier this week we learned that if we move the van to the turn around space (about twenty feet) the wi-fi signal comes in well enough to connect to the church’s wi-fi network.  I find this very odd – why? you ask.  The parsonage is a good 100-150 yards from the church and it is a bit further to the wireless router.  This is well beyond (I think) the usual distance of a wireless router.  The thing that makes it stranger is that many times, I can’t access the same router from my office, which is only a hundred feet or so (in a straight line) from the router.  So strange.  Anyway, I am taking the opportunity to write online, since I have access to the church’s wifi from home.

Wow! what a way to start off this edition of Sunday Night Thoughts.  It has been a really good day and that good day has really followed a really good week.  I have been amazed as I have watch God work this week.  We had another amazing worship service this morning.  Our lead pastor was out this week, that means I took many of the duties in leading worship that he normally does (Welcome, announcements, pastoral prayer, offertory prayer, and the benediction.) Pam was preaching this morning, so I didn’t have to worry about that.  By the way, she hit a home run.  Great job, Pam.  Not only were there those things to think about, but we also had several additions to the service (a video for Sanctity of Human Life, a missions moment, and a children’s sermon.) All that I had to remember.  We also had an unplanned addition, but the Holy Spirit was in it and it was beautiful.  We have be so blessed to be visited by the Holy Spirit over these past few weeks.  I am excited about what God is doing.  Not only that, but the worship team did an excellent job this morning.  I am so proud of our team.

I do want to go back and share about this week, because as I’ve said, it has been a good week.  Our warmer than usual winter continues in the Shenandoah Valley.  I’m glad in a way, because it has been wet as well and if it would have been colder, we would have alot of snow.

The weather has really helped my running game this winter.  In December, I was able have my second best month of running ever, completing somewhere in the vicinity of 130 miles.  As of today, I have completed 100 miles, with a long run (11 or so) miles scheduled for Saturday.  I will be making a run at that 130 miles this month.  Yesterday was a challenge for me.  I wanted to go out for a run, but we had some freezing rain overnight.  In anticipation of the rain, I had bought a new C9 windbreaker/rainjacket to combat the elements.  The new jacket worked wonderfully and kept me warm and dry (to a point.) I was sweating underneath.  It looks like I made need it again this week with more rain showers forecast, although the high temps are to be in the 50′s all week.

I have hit a major goal this week.  For the first time that I can remember, I am under 200 pounds.  Friday morning I woke up and weighed in at 199.  I am so excited about this journey that I have been on. I can honestly say that I have never been as fit in my life as I am at the moment.  I would expect by the end of 2012, I will be near or at my goal weight.
One of the interesting things that happened this week is that we had another encounter with a stray dog — it was a good encounter however.  The cute dog pictured on the left is an Australian Cattle Dog.  He was running around the church property.  At one point, Pam tried to get her, but she jumped into the van.  Not long after that we were able to catch up to her and bring her into the church kitchen, so she could warm up and we could give her something to drink and to eat.  She was cold, thirsty and hungry.  We also didn’t want to see a dog end up as roadkill.  While Pam and I aren’t creature people, I do believe that we have an obligation to take care of God’s creation.  Taking care of this stray was part of that. We enjoyed having a dog for an hour or so, until Animal Control came and got her.  I saw her picture on the county animal shelter website, but I noticed yesterday it was gone.  It looks like she has been reunited with her owner.  From what I understand this is an expensive dog.

This week finds us preparing for a chili cook-off.  I think Pam is entering this year.  We are also getting ready for showing Courageous to the Staunton community.  Be praying as we show this powerful movie.  I hope you have a great week and as always – Seize the Day!