The Boys Are Back in Town

Loving Me Some Philippians (Philippenses Amo)

Next Monday's class will cover Phil. 1:3-11. It's going to be SO MUCH FUN. As you can see, I've got tons to say about this passage. 

I've also been studying it in Latin. Care to hear a snippet? Pardon my "Etruscan" pronunciation haha! 

Have a great day! 

Too Good to Be True

Thank you, Bo's! 

Attempted: New Pull Up Record

My goal today was to do 6 narrow grip pulls in a row. I was only able to do 5. 

Pull ups are insanely hard. The more body fat you have, the harder they are.

I'll try again next week. I'm so close! 😉

Stunning Altocumulus Cloud Pattern

Shot this a couple of hours ago. Wow.

The heavens just doin' their thing -- displaying the glory of God!

What Lifting Asks of Us

Here I am at the end of today's workout. Yes, I'm happy. 

All around me were people lifting a lot heavier than I was. Not that it matters. Being a lifter means doing my best. Having done that, I -- and those around me doing the same -- can go through a workout with pride, not embarrassment. 

Lifting asks what it has always asked -- no more and less -- simply everything over which we have control. 

Pulpits Are Not Substitutes for the Scriptures

Evangelical pulpits are not substitutes for the Sacred Scriptures. Not long ago I visited a church where the Bible stayed closed in people's laps during the sermon. But keeping the Scriptures open -- keeping them supreme -- is the only way to keep reforming the church.

The Bible is God himself speaking to us, not only in Hebrew and Greek, but in our own language. What have we done with such a great privilege? 

No Turning Back Now

Climbing a big mountain is like being in the Olympics. Months or even years of training have to be transformed into results in only a couple of days. I've been having a ball prepping for the challenge. I'm on my way to the summit of a really challenging peak. I'll do what it takes to get there, including today's run at the Tobacco Heritage Trail in LaCrosse, VA. 

I had to have my car serviced in nearby South Hill, so what better way to spend an hour and a half of free time than in running? 

No turning back now.

To the summit and a safe return.

I'm on a train with no intention of getting off.

I will not focus on the risks.

I will trust my guide to turn me around if he thinks it's necessary.

I'm heading into the unknown. 

How will I perform?

I'm going for the top of the Riffelhorn, putting my feet on terrain I've studied meticulously in photographs to glean its secret paths.

I am proud to be trying.

I am proud to be Dave Black.

I am proud I have the courage.

Nice Day for Some D

Yes, it's January.

Yes, I'm sunbathing.

Yes, I'm from Hawaii.

Yes, I'm a beach bum at heart.

Thank you. 

Back Day at the Gym (+ Life Lessons Learned)

My workouts these days reflect my dream of summiting the Riffelhorn this summer. 

Today was no exception. I really want to work on my back at the moment and so I did 4 really great pull exercises to strengthen my lats. These include:

1) Wide grip pull ups.

2) Narrow grip pull ups.

3) Lat pull downs.

4) Rows. 

I've got 6 months to prepare for the climb. I think I might have a 50-50 chance of achieving my goal -- maybe a little higher than that, but not much. At this stage of life it's been impossible for me to predict the outcome of any really challenging goal be it a marathon or a mountain. One of the greatest gifts I've received from marathoning has also been one of the most difficult truths to accept: I've had to learn that I'm human. My body is not unique or special. I am susceptible to all the trials and tribulations that we all have to face as we age. I cannot hide from them. I cannot escape them. I have to face them head on. I believe we can all find the right way forward if were willing to take the risk of moving off the spot we're on. 

I came to this life as an athlete not because I wanted to but because I didn't know how else to cope with losing my wife. One of the ways God used to get me moving forward again was with my own two feet. Being an athlete doesn't mean you're athletic. (I'm certainly not.) Being an athlete simply means that you are committed to facing the world around you with the courage of an athlete. If you choose to live this way, then I think you'll find, as I have, that you have more strength of will and body than you ever dreamed possible. 

Today, 11 years after Becky's homegoing, I am much stronger than I ever thought possible. Not stronger so much in a physical sense as in the sense that I feel more capable, with Christ's help, of facing the challenges that life throws at me. I'm learning to face the challenge of aging in the same way I face the challenges of running or mountaineering -- with faith in God and with the strength he gives to those who rely upon him. 

Have a wonderful day! 

Glad to Be Back on Campus

Let the semester begin! 

When Progress Is SLOOOOOOW

Whoever said patience is a virtue must have been a gym rat before starting to spew out quotes. 

It's 190 days exactly before I hope to stand atop the Riffelhorn in Switzerland. 

Sometimes my progress feels so SLOW. 

Like today. 

Progress seems to be measured not in inches or even centimeters but in millimeters. 

Still, I can't stop.

Progress is progress. 

Slow progress is better than no progress at all. 

Roger Miller said it well: "It took me 20 years to become an overnight success." 

Growth takes belief. 

You can't have one without the other. 

Stopping equates to zero. 

This is literally infinitely less than the smallest progress. 

So focus on the goal, every day.

Keep on improving, every day. 

Even when you're moving at a snail's pace. 

Outdoors Again!!!

This day has started out beautifully! I didn't ask a lot for Christmas, so I decided to ask the Lord if I could have just ONE day of sunshine so that I could get in a run. And he granted it. As I was driving to Farmville I was hoping against hope that the High Bridge Trail would be runnable but -- alas -- it had the runnability of an ice-skating rink. Hmm, wonder if the local high school has a track that's open to the public? Et voila! 

I got in a lovely run for just over 5 miles before stopping for lunch. 

Glad to see I got my steps in. 

Felt REALLY good to run again.

Earlier I had gone to the gym for a brief workout. 

I thought I had a shot for 4 close-grip pull ups in a row. Et voila! 

(Like my French?) The bad news is that I'm not even close to getting in 4 straight wide-grip pull ups with proper form. They are much harder! 

Are you anything like me? I always want more. I am never quite satisfied. That makes me annoying but it also makes me driven. It's just who I am. Yeah, I know -- there's a happy balance between acceptance and pushing yourself. But I'm still trying to find it. This is something I'm definitely working on. 

Oh well, enough wah, wah, wah. It was a GREAT morning to be running and lifting in Southside Virginia today. Simply said, it's tough not being outdoors on a day like this! 

Have a great weekend wherever you are! 

The 2MAD Eating Plan

If you're looking for a good way to lose body fat, the two meal a day (2MAD) eating plan may be for you. You choose any two meals of the day. This could be either lunch and dinner or breakfast and lunch. The approach I use is breakfast and "drunch" (dinner + lunch). The two meals are fairly far apart. This means a roughly 18 hour window of fasting every night. I have a small breakfast during my Bible time before heading to the gym. For drunch I'll have a large meal with plenty of satiating protein. I find this is not just great for weight loss and maintaining where I want to be, but it gives my digestive system a break and helps me feel generally more comfortable in everyday life. It's great for keeping your insulin in check and for dipping into a little ketosis to help your body with cellular cleanup. I eat breakfast at roughly 8:00 am and drunch at about 1:30 or 2:00 with usually a protein drink in between. That averages to about 2,000 calories per day, which is about a 800-1,000 calorie deficit below my maintenance calories. I find that when I eat just 2 meals a day with no snacking in between I have no trouble maintaining muscle mass. 

In short, the 2MAD diet is a wonderful way to control calories and burn body fat. You burn calories in a short amount of time without having to starve yourself and without having to lose a bunch of strength. For anyone who needs a quick jump start on their fat loss then this might be for you. Or if you're already lean but you want to get to that next level of leanness pretty quickly without having to do anything crazy, this is also for you. You're going to consume food within a 6-8 hour window while indulging in the foods you enjoy. My drunch meal leaves me fully satisfied for the next several hours before I go to bed, when autophagy kicks in until about 8:00 am the next day. The caloric restriction that results from eating fewer meals I have found to be very, very easy. But whatever diet you choose, make it an approach to training and nutrition that's as easy as possible to stick with and that promotes overall health and wellbeing. 

Have a great weekend! 

Coffee and Me

One thing most books on Bible study miss is the concept of coffee. Never underestimate the effects of a good cup of brew on your reading of Scripture. 

Philippians: Gospel Partnership (7)

Many people consider joy to be the theme of Philippians. 

I would argue that at best joy is a subtheme of the letter, which is all about "gospel partnership." Take just chapter 1 as an example:

1:4-5: Here Paul rejoices specifically because the Philippians had become partners with him in gospel ministry. "I rejoice because of your participation in the gospel."

1:16. Paul rejoices because "Christ is being proclaimed."

1:18: Paul continues to rejoice because he knows that through their prayers and the help of the Holy Spirit this would turn out for his deliverance from prison. This would give him further opportunities to preach Christ.

Joy is never the goal.

Joy is always a byproduct.

Joy is the byproduct of living to spread the saving message of the gospel. 

"Make the Bible Your Hobby!"

I love this! 

He is so right! 

For what it's worth, here's a video clip of my Greek New Testament as of 8:00 this morning. 

As you can see, it's in a major state of disrepair. I've already had it rebound three times. I need to do it again but I can't find anyone local who I can trust to do it for me and I just can't bring myself to put it in the mail and risk getting it lost. I've had this Bible for decades. I literally couldn't stand to part with it. In case you've never noticed, I heavily mark it. This includes the personal reflections of my mind and heart. One day the book will be passed on to my children. I hope they'll enjoy reading my notes and seeing my chicken scratch on its pages. I can see them laughing or wondering at things I've written. I hope they will find it a priceless treasure, a family heirloom. In its pages they will always be able to find their father or grandfather as they travel along the same path of life that so delighted me. 

(I realize some people can't bring themselves to write in their Bible. They feel like they're putting graffiti on the Mona Lisa or Michelangelo's statue of David. Believe me, I get that view and respect it!)

Anyways, a shout out to John Miles for the video. If you've never visited his Youtube channel, you might want to give it the once over. Lots of good, edifying stuff there.

Philippians: Gospel Partnership (6)

"Every heart without Christ is a mission field. Every heart with Christ is a missionary." -- Vijay Menon. 

As you know, I've been privileged to visit believers in many nations, including China, Ethiopia, Korea, and Ukraine. I went to serve them, but not as a missionary to non-missionaries. Rather, I viewed the believers in those countries as equal mission partners beside whom I had the honor of ministering.

The book of Philippians suggests that it may be a mistake to continue to refer to only certain people as "missionaries," because we are all to be on mission for Christ as we hold forth the life-giving word (Phil. 2:16). I love it how some churches refer to their missionaries as "mission partners" and their mission pastor as "pastor of missional living," for the responsibility of making disciples among the nations belongs to all of us. 

It's simply a part of becoming Christlike. 

Thanks for reading! 

A Healthy Body Is Helpful in the Service of God

In 1 Tim. 5:23, Paul tells Timothy to "drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach because you are sick so often" (Living Bible). 

To many of us today, the exhortation would be most appropriate. 

In essence, Paul is telling Timothy to take care of his body. 

And to use all due means of doing so. 

God can and does use us when we're ill. 

But a healthy body is helpful in the service of God. 

Why We Study Greek (Simple Answer)

We learn it to live it. 

Have a great day! 

If You're New to Lifting (14)

Think of your workouts like you're turning on a light with a dimmer switch. I've got these throughout my house. 

As you do your warm ups, you turn on the light. But the dimmer switch is down low because it's only a warm up. At this point, you're not using all of your muscles. Here's one of the warm up exercises I did this morning. 

Now, as you get into your working sets and those really challenging reps especially toward the end of a set, you're turning that dimmer switch up. This is when you're getting the greatest stimulus. Your body has now activated all the high threshold motor units to lift the weight. Once you've done this, any further work isn't going to turn the light on anymore because you've already maxed it out. 

Hope this analogy helps! You probably knew it already intuitively, but I just thought I'd mention it! 

Keep Pushing the Boundaries

If your performance in the gym has plateaued, you can be pretty much certain that something in your program is off and that your muscle gains will have plateaued along with it. 

Just stop moving the weight from point A to point B. 

Contract your muscles through every bit of every rep if focused hypertrophy is your goal. 

Keep pushing the boundaries. 

Keep grinding. 

49 Years!

Hey friend! This will be my 49th year of teaching. Wow. It feels like a long time but it also feels like it flew by. It makes you want to double down and teach your heart out this semester. Time is ticking away -- but in a good way!

To celebrate God's goodness, I'm giving away my defense of the historicity, reliability, apostolicity, and trustworthiness of the Gospels.

To enter just send me an email at dblack@sebts.edu along with your mailing address. I'll draw a winner tomorrow night.

Have a wonderful rest of your week! 

Three! Yes, THREE!!

Form could be better, but I'll take it. 😃

Make THIS the Year

Regardless of how 2024 went, let's make the most of 2025. 

Take the risk.

Embrace the challenge.

Find your path. 

This could be the year of your biggest transformation as a person yet. 

Learning to THINK in Greek

This semester in Greek class we're going through my little book Linguistics for Students of New Testament Greek. One of the things we talk about there is the fact that to be a linguist you do not necessarily have to be a polyglot, or a person who can speak several languages. That's a good thing, especially for us 'Muricans. As the old saying puts it:

Someone who speaks three languages is called trilingual.

Someone who speaks two languages is called bilingual.

Someone who speaks only their own language is called an American.

That said, I think it can help us in doing New Testament exegesis if we can speak two or more languages. You see, the goal of all my teaching is to help my students acquire the ability -- to a degree-- to think in Greek and not just translate it. When I speak German, I don't translate it from the English. I don't translate at all. The goal of all language study, as far as I'm concerned, is to reach a point where words mean what they mean, and not merely the equivalent of your native language. This isn't impossible. On the contrary. If you put in enough time and effort, you'll get there eventually. 

This is how German and English work with me. Both languages mash up in my head and become one. So I don't think, "This is x in German and y in English." People don't really think in language, though all monolingual people think they do. All of us think in a kind of meta-language that is independent of the language we are using at any given time to communicate. Of course, when you're thinking about communicating, then you do think in the language you're intending to communicate in. But the rest of the time, you don't. Either way, I rarely translate when it comes to speaking German or Hawaiian Pidgin. But I do need to do that whenever I'm trying to speak, say, Spanish.

I see this as a door analogy. I have mainly an "English door," so when I'm trying to speak Spanish everything goes through that door because my mind doesn't know any better. Now I imagine I have a new "Spanish door," and I try to let the Spanish just kind of flow in. 

Greek has its own door, as does German and a few other languages. I just know the right words to say. 

I'd like to get my students to the point where Greek just comes naturally. That would be really cool. But it will take quite a long time to get there. 

Philippians: Gospel Partnership (5)

If you're like me, you're probably very familiar with the book of Philippians. That's why I think it's a good idea to read things that we're familiar with as though we were reading them for the very first time. I'll tell you, that's one of the keys to my own personal Bible study. Every single time I go to a passage of Scripture I go to it as if for the first time. I don't go back to previous notes I've taken or to the commentaries or to the English Bible translations. Eventually I do all that, but I don't start there. When you read the Bible this way, I think you'll see things you've never seen before. You'll struggle over your own personal translation of the passage you're studying as never before, especially with terms that seem unclear or ambiguous. 

For example, in Phil. 1:1, Paul refers to "overseers and deacons." Are these descriptors, or are they titles -- or both? How you decide that question will determine how you translate those words. In other words, are these administrative offices in the church or simply a reference to people who are called upon to perform specific functions in the church? One thing is clear: Paul refers to these people in a way that distinguishes them from the congregation as a whole. Not only that, he addresses the entire congregation first before even mentioning these overseers and deacons. Hence the Living Bible's translation here will hardly do:

From: Paul and Timothy, slaves of Jesus Christ.

To: The pastors and deacons and all the Christians in the city of Philippi.

This is precisely what Paul does not say! Let me add that, in the Greek, both terms lack the definite article, which normally indicates that the writer is emphasizing qualities and characteristics rather than particular identity. Finally, let's recall that as early as Acts 6:1 and Acts 14:23, the duties of these people were fairly well defined in the early church. This implies that Paul considered these persons to be distinguishable from the congregation by some kind of official status. Apparently some in the church had been called by God to (in some sense) administer and overseer affairs in the church and others to take care of the poor and the sick in the church. All of this leads me to render Phil. 1:1 as follows. See if you like it.

This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves owned by Christ Jesus. We are writing to all God's people in union with Christ Jesus in the city of Philippi, including those who supervise the spiritual needs of the church as overseers and those who serve the material needs of the church as deacons.

At the very least we can conclude that Paul is reminding the Philippians that church leadership is not an imposition on the congregation but an extension of it! 

Have a wonderful rest of your day! 

It's Your Body

I usually do a wide grip pull up. But some days, like today, I did a close grip pull up. 

What you do is totally up to you.

It's your choice.

It's your body.

It's your life. 

The Theme of Philippians in Four Words

"Partnership in the Gospel" (1:5). 

Yep, it's that simple. 

Diet Is Important

It was great to see the gym flooded with new people today. 

If you're one of those people, please remember that your diet is responsible for 70-80 percent of your results. 

Learning to Swim

When Biola opened its pool in 1976, I was hired as a swimming instructor. 

White-knuckled kids gripped the pool's edge or thrashed the water trying to stay afloat. "Don't fight the water," I would tell them. "Just trust it to hold you up." Gradually students learned not only that they could trust the water to support them, but that they could swim the whole length of the pool.

I find that the hardest part of life is simply letting go and trusting God to be there to support those who are agonizing over their insecurities. Friend, if that is you, just for today, trust God for the "impossible" in your life. He wants to guide and help us, but there are some things we may need to let go of first.

One Week

My Philippians class begins in one week. Welcome, students. Every day of the semester will be one day closer to becoming the Christian you want to be. I don't care who you are or what you've done. I only care where you're going. So put your head down and get to work. 

Leg Day

Get Better. Be Better

As you know, last week I was able to finally do two full range of motion pull ups at the gym. The pull up is the best exercise for men's health by far. The pull up really shows how strong and fit you are. I'm 72. The pull up is my objective. I won't stop until I make it times 5 at the very least. 

The only way to get better at pull ups is by doing them. Whatever you do, you get better at. That's true of life in general. Growth requires work. It also requires a choice. I have zero idea of what you want to do or where you want to go in life. You'll never find the answer by sitting around doing nothing. Cut out the distractions and focus on being your best self. It's there you'll find the answers. You'll excel yourself years forward too.

The REAL Reason You're Not Exercising

You need a new playlist. 

Running Is Boring

And I love it! It's so chilling to just slowly jog for a very long time. It's one of the best ways to clear headspace in my life. Long walks are fine too. 

Just sayin'. 😀

Lovely Evening on the Farm

For the next three days the highs will be below freezing, but this evening we're enjoying 44 degrees and a pond that's no longer frozen. 

Sheep are happy. I am happy. Life is good. 

Don't Forget Application

Failing to apply the Scriptures when we preach is like cooking a delicious meal but never actually sitting down and enjoying it yourself. Application is the crowning task of our work in the text. It's the diamond in the ring of truth. Please don't forget that. 

"Normal" Eating

Eat fast food every day and people think you're normal.

Eat clean and people think you're a health fanatic.

Eating real food isn't dieting. It's eating normally. 

Be Grateful

If you woke up this morning, got out of bed under your own power, have a roof over your head and food on your table, your life is pretty amazing.

Be grateful. 

Lat Day at the Y

Today I briefly worked my lats at the gym. 

The lat is a big muscle that climbers love to use. They are best worked with either the lat pulldown or the pull up.  

As I said, lats are big muscles that you use almost every time you go climbing, so they should be well trained, especially if you plan on climbing very steep terrain like the Riffelhorn. 

They also play a role in stabilizing your entire spine. Little wonder they are the largest muscles in the upper body! 

Have a fantastic day! 

2026

Eleven and a half months until 2026. Make good use of them. 

Stupid Ideas

"Some ideas are so stupid that only intellectuals believe them." George Orwell. 

Prioritizing God's Word

A gentle reminder that no Sunday sermon, no matter how good, can even begin to compare with the personal study of God's word. Every pastor worth their salt will encourage you to feast and be satisfied at the table of Scripture. 

Discipline

If you're a Christian, remember that discipline is a fruit of the Spirit. The more disciplined you are, the easier your life will be. The less disciplined you are, the harder. It will take discipline to get yourself to the gym three days a week. It will take discipline to eat foods that are as nutritious as possible. It will also take a lot of discipline to take time off to give your body sufficient time to recover and grow. But when you do these things, your body will begin to change. You'll begin to look and feel, not just good, but great. It's not some miracle supplement that did this. You did it through discipline.

Loving Me Some Idioms

All languages use idioms for communication. My favorite idioms in English include:

Bite the dust.

A drop in the bucket.

The root of the matter.

Killing time.

Kick the bucket.

Throw in the towel.

Eat your heart out.

German too has some classic idioms:

You can put your poison on it (= You can bet your life on it).

Hit two flies with one swat (= Kill two birds with one stone).

Demand an extra sausage (= Demand special treatment).

I only understand train station (= It's all Greek to me!).

Have a pig (= Be lucky).

If you ever move to Hawaii, prepare to be met with a number of words and phrases that won't make any sense to you at first:

Talk story (= Catch up with friends).

Slippahs (= Flip flops).

Shishi (= Go pee).

Grinds (= Food).

Pupus (= Appetizers).

When you study Greek, learning Greek idioms is a fun and effective way to boost your language fluency. While some Greek idioms sound similar to their English equivalents, others are entirely different. My favorite Greek idioms are:

Speak mouth to mouth (= Speak face to face.)

Have in the womb (= Be pregnant).

Their eyes were weighed down (= They became very sleepy).

What to you and me? (= That's your business, not mine).

Eat your own bread (= Work for a living).

Kick against the goads (= Hurt oneself by active resistance).

Have it badly (= Be sick).

By the way, some of these idioms occur so often in the Septuagint that they might be considered Septuagintalisms. 

Just thought I'd share that you! 

Exercise = Movement

One of the exercises I did at the gym today was the band assisted pull up. 

When looking at my list of exercises I don't see them as mere exercises but as movements. You want to think of your exercise routine as a series of mobility steps designed to build a strong and fit body as you grow older. Get better in these movements and watch yourself get better as a result. 

Hope your "movements" are going well!

Setting Up Your Exercise "Team"

If you're new to exercise, you need all the support and encouragement you can get. Be sure to set up your "team" that will be there for you when you need them. My team is mostly my family (including my very athletic son-in-law Tino) and those who surround me at the gym. 

Tell them what your intentions are and what you need support in. Just be honest with them. A lot of them want to support you and the goals you've set for yourself.  

Don't go through the journey by yourself. 

Have a blessed day! 

Zermatt Calleth

August can't get here fast enough! 

Reviews of WHY FOUR GOSPELS?

This is a very kind review of my book Why Four Gospels? For a less positive assessment, go here. My thanks to both of these fine scholars for taking the time to review my book. I feel honored! 

Curiosities about the Battle of Antietam

Here are four:

1. The battle is known both as the Battle of Antietam and the Battle of Sharpsburg. The North named most of their battles after natural features (Antietam Creek, Bull Run), while the South tended to name battles after the nearest city or town (Sharpsburg, Manassas).

2. Lee's retreat after the battle took place at a nearby ford over the Potomac. At the time this ford was known as Pack Horse Ford, Blackford's Ford, Boteler's Ford, and Shepherdstown Ford. All are names for essentially the same ford on the Potomac River.

3. Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. Some 50,000 men fell killed or wounded or were captured at Gettysburg during Lee's second invasion of the North in early July of 1863, but over 3 days, not one. Some 23,000 men were killed, wounded, or captured in Antietam in a single day of battle, thus making it the bloodiest day in American history. 

4. The Battle of Antietam was possibly the most important battle of the Civil War. Lee's retirement back into Virginia allowed President Abraham Lincoln to use the Union's strategic victory to issue his Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all slaves held in rebellious states to be free as of Jan. 1, 1863. If there was any real chance that Great Britain or France would intervene on the side of the Confederacy, the Emancipation Proclamation ended that hope. England and France, which had already banned slavery, could no longer take up the Confederate cause. 

Have You Ever Considered the Benefits of Weight Training?

I had some thoughts while lifting today and I thought I'd share them with you!

Does this describe you?

You've been on several diets but none of them has produced a reduction in your body fat.

You've tried walking but your exercise schedule has been inconsistent at best and your body composition has remained essentially the same.

You've read blog posts and watched Youtube videos about the benefits of weight training but you remain unconvinced that it can actually help you lose weight. 

In fact, research has shown that weight training has many health and fitness benefits beyond building strong muscles, including reducing fat, increasing metabolic rate, decreasing lower back discomfort, relieving arthritic pain, preventing osteoporosis, enhancing gastrointestinal transit, lowering resting blood pressure, as well as boosting self-confidence and warding off depression. Every one of us, including people over 70, can benefit from stronger and larger muscles. Rather than being concerned about too much muscle, we should be concerned about too little muscle. Muscles are like an engine. Loss in muscle tissue is similar to dropping from an 8-cylinder engine to a 4-cylinder engine, while the weight of the automobile keeps getting heavier and heavier. Adding muscle is a double-solution because it increases both physical capacity (a larger engine) and metabolic rate (higher fuel-burning capacity). Unlike dieting, which decreases the number of calories eaten per day, weight training increases the number of calories used per day.

Friend, weight training is a tried-and-true means of both increasing lean weight and decreasing fat weight, even in older adults.

These are just a couple of things that came to mind today. Hope this helps! Y'all have a good day! 

(A couple of pics from the gym today.) 

Sharing Goals, Chasing Dreams

Some thoughts on chasing down your goals in 2025!

I think that if you're actively training toward a goal, then you should be building your body to be healthier and not only stronger. Looking muscular is not necessarily the goal (although there's nothing wrong with that). Remember that when you lift you are literally building a better version of yourself. I like to think of it as Dave 2.0. As I said, it's not just about getting stronger. Your overall health and functionality should improve along with your fitness. If you're sacrificing health for "fitness," then you may be doing things wrong. 

So if your goal is both health and fitness, you'll want to make sure that you keep your goals realistic. For me personally, my goals in 2025 are to improve my strength so that I not only age well (I'll be 73 in June) but I'll be in good enough shape to tackle another peak in the Alps. I usually have one or both of these goals in mind whenever I go to the gym. If you didn't hit your goals in 2024 then bump them over into 2025 and who knows -- maybe you'll hit a goal in the new year you didn't hit last year. My commitment to you is that I will always be transparent with you about my goals and share with you both my successes and my failures. We look to the past in order to prepare for the future. We set new goals for the new year to prepare for the arduous tasks ahead as people committed to health and fitness. Let us hold each other accountable for the opportunities that lie before us in 2025, be they marathons, mountains, or simply walking more consistently. I remain forever grateful for your support of this blog!

P.S. I had a pretty exciting day at the gym today. After many months of training, I was finally able to do 2 unassisted pull ups with proper form. (I pooped out on my third one.) 

All praise and thanks to God. You know that this has been a dream I've been chasing down for a very long time. Overcoming adversity is a great trait to develop, and pull ups gives that to you! What a gift we have as athletes to practice persistence all the time. 

Philippians: Gospel Partnership (4)

There are three types of decisions we make in life.

1. Trivial decisions, like what I decided to wear to the gym this morning.

2. Right-wrong decisions. Should I hide my income from the IRS or have an affair? I don't even need to ask these questions. The answers are already crystal clear. The Bible says I should not steal and I should not commit adultery. These matters are settled.

3. Wise-unwise decisions. Who should I marry? What career path should I choose? Should we homeschool or not? For these decisions, the Bible doesn't give me a clear answer. It requires discernment.

Now let's look at Phil. 1:10. Although the Greek here is a bit ambiguous, Paul's probably referring to the ability to make the best choices possible and to distinguish the good from the best. Later on in the chapter he will explicate exactly what this looks like. But for now, he's already established that the truly essential thing in life is gospel partnership (1:5). For Paul, this meant the Philippians' continued participation with him in gospel ministry. They alone of all the churches had established a partnership with him. This means, among other things, that they will strive for a unity of spirit in which powerful tensions are held together by an overmastering loyalty to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. Such unity is only possible when Christians are humble and take gospel participation more seriously than their own self-importance. This point is clearly developed in the "heart" of the letter (1:27-2:11), where Paul shows that gospel partnership cannot coexist with individualism or partisanship. 

Thus humility becomes, in Paul's thinking, the linchpin that guarantees the success of the partnership as self is subdued in the service of others. More on this when we get to Phil. 2:1-4. 

Simple Diet Hack

One thing that has helped me with calorie reduction is rethinking about food I can eat instead of food I can't eat.

Scapular Contractions Using Pull Downs

To be able to do a pull up it's vital to have scapular contraction. In other words, your shoulder blades need to be pulled down into place to get the maximum squeeze through your lats. We're going to use a lat pull down and do scapular contractions. 

Place your hands about shoulder width apart, brace your core, and then relax your shoulder blades up toward your ears. From there contact your shoulder blades down using your lats, hold for about a second, and then relax back up again. You can repeat this for 5-10 repetitions. This exercise will essentially help you to improve your back strength which is essential for doing pull ups. 

Have a great day! 

If You're New to Lifting (14)

When you start going to the gym you'll hear people talking about progressive overload. Simply put, this means that if you're hoping to gain muscle over time, you need to (1) train with enough intensity in order to overload your muscles and stimulate new growth, and (2) gradually increase the resistance over time by either adding more weight, increasing your number of reps, or taking shorter rest breaks between sets. Progressive overload is essential when it comes to building muscle. Recently I moved up to 25 pound dumbbells for my curls. 

I can manage about 12 reps before my form suffers. I know that 25 pounds doesn't sound very heavy but it's the most I can do. Don't try to add weight too quickly, because the quality of your training will gradually decrease. You're also more likely to get injured, which means you're going to have to take time off to heal. The key here is progressive overload -- gradually and consistently over time.

Happy lifting!

Loving Me Some 1 Thessalonians

Chillaxing in my Wake Forest office with 1 Thessalonians reminding me of the importance of balancing faith, love, and hope. Love this book!

If You're New to Lifting (13)

If you're like me, you came to lifting at an older age. Don't let that hold you back. You can become roughly the same man or woman you were at 45 or 50 until you are 80 or beyond. That's because there's a critical distinction between aging and decay. You can't do a lot about your biological aging. Like me, you're probably getting a little weaker and slower. You have gray hair. Your skin wrinkles. But most of what we call aging is actually decay. Aging is real; decay is optional. You do not have to feel or act old. Many of us will live well into our 80s and 90s. That's up to the Lord. But how we live those years is largely up to us. The amazing news is that we can reverse aging about 70 percent by physical exercise. There is not a medicine in the world that can come vaguely near it. Aerobic activity is the most important exercise for longevity. Strength training had the greatest impact for quality of life. And doing both is much easier than you think. This stuff works when you're 20 or when you're 70.

Have a wonderful week! 

Upcoming ETS Regional Meetings

The regional Evangelical Society Meetings will soon be upon us. I've decided to propose papers for two of them:

On March 7-8, the Southeast Regional Meeting will take place at my own Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest. This year's keynote will be given by my good friend and colleague Steve McKinion entitled, "Nicaea: 1700 Years of Gospel Confession." That's going to be an awesome talk. I'm proposing a paper titled, "The Contribution of Heb. 1:1-4 to Christian Theology: Rediscovering a Crucial Text."

And on April 11-12, the Eastern Regional Meeting will be held at Liberty University in Lynchburg. This year's theme is "The Wisdom of Scripture for Worship in the Church." The keynote speaker is Daniel Estes of Cedarville University in Ohio. My proposed paper is called, "The Worship Hymn of Phil. 2:5-11: Pauline Or Not?" 

I'll let you know if either paper is accepted. 

Doing a Triathlon in 2025!

Just added to my 2025 racing calendar:

The 2025 Cal Tri Raleigh!

It's at Falls Lake, almost in my backyard. The swim is 400 yards, the bike is 13.3 miles, and the run is a mere 5K. The date is Sept. 28. The average high temperature for that date is 87F, with the water temp around 77. These are almost ideal conditions for a tri. 

There are usually only a few of us competing in my age group, so you tend to see the guys everywhere you go. Here I came in second place, again, to John -- my arch nemesis. 

He has beaten me in every race we've done together, but I'm chasing you down, bro. 

I think you probably know this, but doing a tri serves as a great metaphor for life. It's a reminder that any goal is achievable. All you need is desire, hard work, and perseverance. The tri is not easy, but even average people like me become triathletes all the time. The triathlon is much more than swimming, biking, and running. It's a chance both to challenge yourself and to have fun. Be sure to enjoy every minute of your tri experience! 

Lovely Day!

Upcoming Talks

1. Liberty University. The date is Friday, March 4 and my topic is, "How Hebrew has helped me better understand my Greek New Testament." 

2. Stevensburg Baptist Church, Culpeper VA. The dates are Saturday and Sunday, April 5-6. My topic is "One Lord. One Task. One Life." 

May our journey through the Bible never end. May our knowledge and discernment increase as we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God.

The Grandkiddos Are Loving the Snow

Hey Reuben! Whatcha think?

Way to go, Ira! 

More on My German Baptist Ancestors

I'm snowed in for a bit so guess what? Working on my genealogy! I can hardly contain myself. Today I found a photo of my great-great-great grandfather's tomb in the Mountain View Cemetery in Sharpsburg, MD. 

Can't wait to see it in person. The Miller (originally Mueller) family emigrated to America from Germany in 1731. These "Pennsylvania Germans" (as they were called because of their place of origin in the New World) would eventually be the largest group to settle Western Maryland. The majority of these pioneers were Lutheran, but a notable minority were "Dunkers" or German Baptist Brethren. These Dunkers settled along Antietam Creek, having crossed the South Mountain range. The creek was named after a Delaware Indian word meaning "swift flowing water." One of these Dunker families settle on the creek itself. He was my great-great grandfather, John Hancock Miller, born Feb. 20, 1820. According to my research, he died on June 18, 1912 in Middleton, Colorado. Exactly where he's buried, I do not know. 

I do know that the Germans who settled the Antietam Valley were used to hard work. The soil in the area was mainly limestone that formed many rocky outcroppings. This provided a real challenge for anyone trying to till the soil, but the Dunkers were up to the task. In 1745, Daniel Dulaney of Maryland wrote to Governor Samuel Ogle, "You would be surprised how much the country is improved beyond the mountains, especially by the Germans." I can just imagine the Millers turning the abundance of stone to their advantage, using it to construct their walls, barns, and farm houses. 

Initially, the Dunkers worshipped in their own homes. But by 1830 the "Manor Church" was built, which become the mother church of the little Dunker Church of the Antietam Battlefield. Not surprisingly, it was constructed of stone. 

Well, I need to bundle up and check on the animals. I hope you didn't find this post too boring. I've been interested in my heritage for a while but I never had the chance to talk to my parents or grandparents about their ancestry. Thankfully, knowing everybody's names is usually enough to get you started. The My Heritage website has been helpful. I know some people don't care about their family history at all. They don't feel any connection to the past beyond their parents. I guess I'm a bit different. For one thing, I love history. For another, I feel an emotional connection to these people. I enjoy learning things about them that make them more human if you will. Spitting into a tube can only tell you so much. They are your progenitors, not just biologically, but culturally, intellectually, even spiritually. I also research my ancestors because as I get older I feel my mortality. I hope that maybe someone in a hundred years will want to know about me -- where I came from, what made my tick, etc. Besides, I enjoy the challenge of doing genealogical research. Who knows what you'll discover (scary thought!)? 

Hope you're safe and warm wherever you are! 

Philippians: Gospel Partnership (3)

Are there any hints of the theme of "gospel partnership" to be found even in the very first paragraph of Philippians? Well, we can't tell unless we know what the standard opening of an ancient letter looked like.

The letter opening back in that day contained three elements: (A) the sender, (B) the recipient(s), and (C) a greeting. Here's an example from the Septuagint. 

This reads, "King Nebuchadnezzar to all the people, tribes, and languages in all the earth. May peace be multiplied to you!" 

Now, when we come to Phil. 1:1-2, we might expect something like this:

We could render this as, "Paul to the church in Philippi. Greetings!" However, Paul often expanded or modified the conventional formula and fill it "with matters of great mutual concern to himself and the community to which he writes ..." (Hawthorne, p. 13). 

Here's the deal. We're so familiar with the opening paragraph of Philippians that it's easy for us to overlook its unique contents. By paying attention to the small details, we'll get a better handle of the message Paul is "telegraphing" to his readers. 

Care to give it a try?