As I trained today I thought about my next marathon.
Will it be in Honolulu? Or in St. George, Utah? Or in Cincinnati?
My advice to you if you're a runner: be sure that a marathon is on your bucket list.
These days you can pretty much choose a destination and there is a marathon waiting for you.
You will hate much of it, but you will love most of it, trust me.
This is me now.
This was me two years ago.
What was in between?
Insane genetics?
No way.
Obstacles to overcome?
Absolutely.
"Maybe I can get in shape." That was the thought that sparked my transformation.
And so my journey began.
Exercise became my passion.
I kept working.
Amd have never stopped.
My goal?
My first pull up.
It seemed impossible.
But I was getting stronger.
Then it happened -- my first unassisted pull up.
Now I knew that anything was possible.
I trained harder and harder.
I went from 240 to 198 pounds.
Eventually my physique caught up with my hard work.
Now I'm starting to learn new skills.
Hopefully one day I will be able to do a muscle up.
With God, anything is possible.
You got this.
I started my Christmas celebration the best way -- getting in 10 miles on the treadmill.
It wasn't as much fun as running outdoors but I was happy.
Also pictured are the 100 hammer curls I got in between each mile. It's more of a cardio move than a weight training exercise.
The temps are supposed to get up to 70 tomorrow so maybe I can get my run in outdoors. Here's my promise to you. No matter how hideous I look, I will continue to update my (slow) progress for all of you.
Merry Christmas from me to you.
Pull ups are arguably the best exercise for your upper body.
This exercise targets practically your whole back.
I've done these for the past year or so and it's a huge reason why my back is my strongest muscle group. Don't feel embarrassed if you still struggle to do even a single pull up. Start with a modification of the exercise you can do and work it until you're strong enough to move on!
Every family deserves a dad or a granddad who works hard at his health and fitness. They realize as much as you do that someday you're going to pass away. Your body is going to fail you bigtime. You're going to become ill or sick. Things are going to happen that you have no control over. And the only way you can prepare yourself for the future is by the decisions you make today.
If you have to drum up motivation to go to the gym, you don't want it hard enough. You have to want to be fit. If you really want to do it, what's going to stop you? It's your next move that counts. Something has to get you out of your apathy, and you have to create it.
Your children and grandchildren deserve it.
If you keep driving forward and never quit, you will succeed. No matter how old you are.
My personal question to you is, why not? You can change your life. You can grow immeasurably in the new year.
Why not you?
It's a very simple concept. If you want it, you've got to go and get it.
I quietly put in the work, the effort. In 2026 I will start to shut up and let the results speak for themselves. No more promises. Just actions. Just start showing results.
God give me the grace and the strength to do what I know I have to do.
My friend, you have to fight.
Nobody can do it for you.
You HAVE to fight.
So fight.
It doesn't matter how much money you have or how much success you have. The only thing that matters is when the commitment rises to the effort.
Guess what? I have children and grandchildren. That's why I work out so hard. Anything worth doing is hard. You're not going to succeed in life until you accept maximum responsibility.
It's time to decide.
You have to fight for your health.
Nobody can do it for you.
You have to fight.
So fight.
This evening I drove down to Durham for some Ethiopian food and a Christmas concert. I love nothing more than eating and music! I hope your day went well for you. If you play your note and I play mine, together it will create a beautiful song that sounds a lot like grace.
A few pix. Have a great week!
I am friend-rich and I know it. Some of my best friends live in Israel. One of them is the provost at the Israel College of the Bible. I taught a Greek class for him during Covid. The ICB is the only evangelical Hebrew-speaking seminary in the world. They offer courses online and in person ranging from certificate programs to advanced courses for pastors and ministry leaders. Messianic Jewish and Arabic leaders study side by side.
Well, today I received an email from my provost friend that had me crying tears of joy. It read, in part, "The first Hebrew textbook to learn New Testament Greek is done!" He sent me this picture of the cover with an assurance that a printed copy of the book is coming in the mail.
I don't even know how to thank the Lord. Life, they say, goes through periods. Mine just went through an exclamation point. I could not be more grateful. The title literally reads Learn to Read the Greek of the Septuagint and the New Testament. Hopefully the book will be adopted not only in Bible schools but also in the Bible departments of Israeli universities.
For 5 decades I have cultivated a love for the New Testament and have pursued an understanding of it. My purpose in writing all my books on Greek is to help others do the same. My interest in Greek can be traced in large part to the teaching ministry of Dr. Harry Sturz of Biola University, who was my instructor for two years then my colleague in the Greek Department for many years thereafter.
Thanks to what I learned from this man of God and humble Greek scholar, I finally discovered how to engage in a meaningful and reliable process of searching the Scriptures and teaching them to others. More important, the study of Greek has transformed my own life. For me, teaching Greek has been a dream come true. Harry Sturz's creative mind and skillful hands were of inestimable value in assisting me as I have honed my classroom and writing skills. Little did he know when he hired me to teach Greek at Biola in 1976 that I would go on to write a beginning Greek grammar and that this book would one day become available not only in English but in Spanish, Chinese, and Modern Israeli Hebrew. My gratitude to him -- and to the Lord -- knows no bounds.
May your journey through the Bible never end, my friend. May your walk with the Lord continue to deepen as you grow in knowledge and discernment. And may God's word, by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, transform lives all around the world, including Israel.As you know, the Freight Train 50K was moved from December to May because of the weather. Seriously. Who wants to run 32 miles on ice? I think May will be the perfect month to do a 50K. There's no turning back now. I figure if I slowly up my weekly mileage without upping my speed or frequency, I should be okay. You know, I'm all about the 10 percent rule nowadays. I just couldn't resist doing 10 miles at the Tobacco Heritage Trail today.
This is how running has taken over my life. Without even trying or thinking about it, my Christmas has turned into training runs. But it was worth every mile.
One of the greatest feelings in life has to be working toward some goal, giving it your all, feeling the pain, but persevering and eventually reaching your goal. When I finished my run today, it truly felt like a celebration. One last note. Yesterday I had my annual physical and the doc tells me I am AOK to pursue my summer goals of climbing the alps and surfing in Hawaii again.
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| Moi aujourd'hui. |
What, if anything, are you currently doing to make your life exactly what you want it to be right now? Make the life you want happen. This means being very selective about the people you spend time with, the emails you answer, how you talk to people you love, and where you are investing your limited mental, physical, and spiritual energies. Be very careful about your choices in life. Make each one count. I'm going to try to.
Have a great Lord's Day tomorrow!
You can lose weight without exercising.
But if you want to lose fat and little or no lean tissue, you have to train your muscles.
This is possibly the best defence of biblical inerrancy from a Lutheran perspective I've ever seen.
The speaker concludes:
On the basis of this conviction of the total reliability and dependability of the Bible as God's divinely revealed word, the AALC believes that Christians and especially those of our beloved Lutheran family are faced with a critical decision. It is of the same order of magnitude and importance as Elijah's challenge to Israel of old: How long will you go limping with two different options? If the Lord is God, follow him. But if Baal, then follow him (1 Kings 18:21). For our day the challenge of Elijah may be paraphrased thus: Why do you go limping between two different options of the Bible? If the scientific critical view is true, give yourself to it.... [S]piritual renewal within the Lutheran family can take place only where there is an unwavering commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in his totally dependable and reliable word, the Bible.
Today we have two schools of thought where there should be only one. Our Lord made it clear that the Bible is the inerrant word of God. The basic trouble is the old self life that does not consent to identification with Christ. Christians do not dodge issues. The apostle Paul met them head-on, and there were plenty of them (as at Corinth). We cannot wash our hands of the debate over biblical inerrancy. Christ's view of inerrancy is what really matters, and everything else is judged in the light of that. Our eternity is wrapped up in it.
If you read my blog regularly, you know that I think running is absolutely amazing for you physically, mentally, and even spiritually. It's a wonderful antidote to growing older. My philosophy has always been that, despite my aging, running is a gift from God and far better than merely hanging out on the couch. The same is true for walking. Here is how I spent my day.
And here are the results.
Start where you are. And for God's sake don't compare yourself to others. Just because some people you know run marathons and ultras doesn't mean you have to shoot for those goals. This is YOUR journey. Do what is right for you. Which might mean taking baby steps. My mantra is,"Do what you can, when you can." Run or walk at a relaxed, comfortable pace and enjoy the experience. This will increase your motivation for the next run or walk!
If you're planning on joining a gym in the new year, please don't hesitate to use a trainer to help you get started. Some gyms even offer 2-3 free sessions with a trainer as a sign-up bonus. A good trainer can teach you proper form on all your lifts as well as show you what each machine is and how to use it properly. I have been lifting for some time now and have never hired a trainer, but I have gotten to know our trainers pretty well and they are always eager to help me should I have an occasional question. For example, I've long suspected that I was pulling way too low on my lat pulldowns, so today I asked one of our trainers to give me his advice. He did so and also demonstrated for me what he was talking about.
Then, as he videoed me, I gave it a try myself. He approved of my form 😉
In the past I've gotten some very helpful advice about other exercises as well. These include the dumbbell curl.
As well as the pull up.
Now, you can definitely figure out all of this on your own. There's a lot of free advice and guidance online. That said, if you can, it might be a good idea to use a trainer to get a fresh perspective and new ideas. Hopefully that will help you stay injury-free and achieve your goals way faster.
Have a wonderful day!
My thanks to Elgin Hushbeck and Larissa Munz for inviting me to be on their podcast to discuss the release of a new audio version of my book Why Four Gospels?
It was a stimulating conversation, and I am grateful to have had a part in it. Elgin and Larissa are doing a great job and producing some really helpful content. I hope you will consider checking out their books and subscribing to their podcast.
For the Audible version of Why Four Gospels?, click here.
So the Steelers crush the Dolphins. A-Rod has still got it. He was 23 of 27 on a really nasty night. I am rooting for you, old man!
Questions for you:
Does the expression "flexible inerrancy" trouble you?
What do you do with people who say the Bible is largely true but then deny complete inerrancy?
If you're a pastor, how can you preach from the Gospels when you can't even be sure what Jesus said?
Why aren't more leading evangelicals bringing the issue of "flexible inerrancy" to the forefront?
These questions (and more) are answered in this interview by Dallas Seminary's Paul Weaver with scholar David West, author of Stockholm Syndrome Christianity. Anyone interested in the subject of biblical inerrancy will find this interview illuminating.
Let's assume, just for fun, that something I said on this blog has piqued your curiosity about starting to exercise on a regular basis. You're thinking about jumping in, maybe even on Jan. 1. The question naturally arises, What shall I do? Where do I start?
Well, let me say this. It makes a lot of sense to join a gym. It doesn't have to be Gold's Gym by any means. Nothing fancy is necessary. Your local Y is fine.
Make believe you are starting a new "job" and the Y is your new "office." This will give your exercising some structure. Write your exercise "appointments" in your calendar and don't let anything get in the way. Learn to operate on "automatic." This is what I have done, and it's the habit and routine of it all that has led to many of my successes.
Just a thought!
When you learn a foreign language, especially a language that doesn't belong to your own language family, one of the things you discover is that languages work in different ways. In some languages (like Biblical Hebrew), the verb needs to come at the beginning of the sentence. In other languages (like Korean), the verb is delayed to the end. If you don't have a grasp of the way language works -- what we call its grammar -- you will never be able to speak that language properly.
Now, in my beginning grammar of New Testament Greek, we cover the entire indicative mood before we move on to the imperative mood. Moods are grammatical features of verbs that express the speaker's attitude toward the action. Two primary moods in language are the indicative and the imperative moods. The indicative mood is used to convey facts or opinions, such as "He's reading a book." In contrast, the imperative mood is used to give commands or requests, like "Read the book." Generally speaking, the majority of verbs in language are in the indicative mood. People tend to state information as facts more than they give commands, instructions, or directives.
Just as there are certain fundamental patterns in languages, so there are certain fundamental elements of the language of the gospel. Every important imperative of the gospel that tells us to obey is rooted in the indicatives of the gospel.
In other words, the Christian life is lived on the foundation of grace. It's because we've been justified in Christ that we begin to do things for Christ. The book of Ephesians is a good example. For 3 chapters Paul has been describing the new society (called the church) that God has brought forth through Jesus Christ, who died for sinners and was raised from death. But in chapters 4-6 Paul moves on from the reality of the new society to the new standards expected of it. He turns from exposition to exhortation, from indicatives (what Christ has done for us) to imperatives (what we must do in response). Theology moves from theory to practice. Thus in Eph. 4:1, Paul calls on the Ephesian believers to lead lives that are worthy of the calling to which God has called them. Any complacency when it comes to obedience is unworthy of the church's high calling.
Likewise, in his letter to the Romans, Paul moves in chapter 8 from Christian doctrine to Christian behavior, from people who believe in the gospel to people who live and adorn it. Indeed, the purpose of Christ's death was that "the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us" (Rom. 8:3). In Romans, Paul teaches not only the essense of the good news but also the essence of the good life. He never stops with mere knowledge. He gives people plain, practical, ethical teaching. The new life in Christ is a holy life, a life determined to please God by obeying his commandments.
We need to keep this biblical pattern clearly before us. In the Christian life, obedience is required. But it is also enabled. The Scriptures call us to hold the two together, which should not be difficult for Spirit-filled believers since the Holy Spirit himself is "the Spirit of truth" (John 14:17), and his firstfruit is "love" (Gal. 5:22).
Ask people what it's like to be getting older and they will give you the standard gloomy "Aging is so hard, full of aches and pains." There's a lot of truth to that, of course. But I've got good news! Turns out that the last quarter of life can be every bit as dynamic and full of potential as the first 3 quarters, and in some ways even more so! Aging is not the problem. Decaying is! And the fact of the matter is, it is optional. Sadly, decay has become the standard for the majority of people over 70. But some of us are determined to rewrite the rule book!
Believe it or not, even at 73 I am able to regain an amazing amount of the playfulness, coordination, balance, and fitness I had when I was in my 40s. The energy that comes with a fit body can be a powerful thing as you navigate the final years of your life. Friend, may the Lord give you the drive, the energy, and the sense of purpose to live your life on your terms for decades to come!
P.S. Today I lifted at the gym and then got in my steps for the day.
Some of us will live well into our 90s. How we live those years is largely under our control!
In Athens, Paul made it clear to his audience that none us can live, move, or even exist apart from the motive power of God. Every single step I've taken as a runner, not to mention every ultramarathon I've run, would be completely impossible without God's power of motion. God is the source of all life, energy, and motion. Nothing you and I ever do can happen apart from his power. In essence, the ability to be active is a gift from God. In a fallen world, it is a wonder to have hands and feet and lungs that work.
Let's steward well what God has given us, shall we? God made these mortal bodies of ours to move. We believers want to be the kind of people who are known for our discipline in areas like food, exercise, and proper sleep. Why, then, should we allow ourselves to be encumbered by a sedentary lifestyle?
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| Running at Ala Moana Beach Park in Hawaii. |
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| Competing in the Bolder Boulder 10K race in Colorado. |
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| Jogging on Hancock Avenue in Gettysburg. |
Cambridge professor C. H. Dodd wrote in the preface to his Romans commentary, "Sometimes I think I Paul is wrong, and I have ventured to say so."
Sorry. We have no liberty to think or act this way. I may err. You may err. But the authority of the apostles of Jesus Christ was the authority of Christ himself.
