First Cutting of the Year :-)

The 2025 haying season has begun 😋

Who's stronger than Papa B? 

Anybody Can Do It

Here's the coolest thing about working out for the past several years. Not only have I seen differences in my body but I also saw differences in my mindset. I was no longer training for aesthetics. I was no longer training for weight loss. I was no longer thinking about what I was eating all the time. I was training because I loved it and because I was seeing so many benefits from training. 

My passion was just growing and growing and quite frankly I was driving my friends and family crazy with how much I was ranting and raving about my love for the gym and for fitness in general. I started working on new skills, and from there my strength and  passion grew even more. 

As you know, eventually I was actually able to do one unassisted pull up. I can't describe to you the feeling of accomplishment. I worked so hard, and all that hard work had finally paid off. I saw improvements in my other exercises as well. But the biggest change I saw was in my happiness. I was so happy doing my exercises and was training because I loved it not because I had to or for the way it made my body look. Losing weight was just an added bonus. I was losing body fat and replacing it with muscle. I was starting to look leaner and stronger and that's when all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle just seemed to come together. 

I now understood that nutrition, exercise, and sleep were working together perfectly to give my body exactly what it needed. And the best thing about it all was that I was loving it. I have experienced the benefits of training in all aspects and I truly believe it was one of the best things I could have done after retiring from fulltime teaching. 

And the good news is that anybody can do it. Overweight people can do it. People who have never been able to do a pull up can do it. I feel like I am a testament to that because I've been through all of these experiences myself and I've come out on the other side with the best hobby and the best passion and hopefully with the ability to help others achieve the same thing. I really think the journey I've been on is the one thing that's kept me moving forward in my older years and to strive for. I am a living testament to the fact that you can lose weight and get fitter and stronger regardless of your age. I've learned so much about myself on the journey here. You'll learn about your own preferences and about what works for you and that might change in the future. But that information is invaluable in creating the freedom you want in the future. 

Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you found this post useful in some way. 

(All photos from today's workout.) 

Surfing Sandy's

Yes, I'll be here in a month. Lord willing 😌

The Mighty Appomattox

Today it was back to the High Bridge Trail for a run, the highlight of which is always the bridge over the Appomattox itself.

10 miles. 😏

It's a good way to get in my steps and burn off some calories. 

Something to remember: People who are interested in getting fit aren't super-humans with special knowledge or insights. They've simply made health a priority. And that's something all of us can do. 

Have a wonderful day! 

Are You Less of a Christian If You Don't Know Greek?

As a Greek prof, I endorse this message.

The 3 Keys to Effective Bible Study

1. Open Bible.

2. Read.

3. Close Bible. 

Why Exercise?

Exercise to celebrate the body God has given you, not to punish yourself for enjoying pizza. 

Worship Wars

The Baby Boomer who complains that "Contemporary praise songs have too much meaningless repetition" is someone who's never heard Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus." 

Two Questions

Do I want to read my Bible today? No.

Is that a reason not to read my Bible today? No. 

Pray

Let's never forget that Bible study is a spiritual matter. So be sure to begin your daily Bible reading with prayer. Just pray a simple little prayer like, "God, thank you so much for your word. May your Holy Spirit reveal the truth to me today. Not yesterday, not last year, but today." And he will. 

My Song Is Love Unknown

Today's workout playlist included this beautiful hymn:

Here might I stay and sing --

No story so divine!

Never was love, dear King,

Never was grief like thine.

This is my Friend, in whose sweet praise

I all my days could gladly spend.

This performance is sublime, and the accompaniment was perfect. I for one can't help but replay it over and over again.

Thank you, dear King, for thy love. 

A Simple Marriage Hack

It's easy to get excited when a mate's project excites you too. Most often, however, you need to be excited because they are excited, even if the idea doesn't thrill you. 

Try it!

Marriage, Partnership, and Greek Videos

When I met Becky in the cafeteria line at Biola, I knew immediately she was special. The more I got to know her, the more I realized I had never met a more selfless, compassionate, giving person. 

She was quick to laugh, quick to smile, quick to forgive, and quick to serve. She had an ability to make people feel important, and when she smiled, her face glowed.

In 2004 I was on sabbatical so we decided to do something we had long wanted to do -- visit the land of her youth, Ethiopia (which her dad called Utopia). We never planned to make more than one visit. That trip ended up being the first of 17 trips for me and 14 for Becky (eventually her cancer prevented her from returning). 

Her gifts of organization amazed everyone, including her husband. It was on our trip in 2005 that I was asked to teach 6 weeks of beginning Greek at the theological college there in Addis Ababa. Of course I said yes. Then Becky came up with an idea. "Why don't we videotape your lectures so we can make them available to a broader audience?" At once I agreed. It was Becky who organized all that. She hired the videographers in Addis, then had the videos professionally edited in Dallas, and finally had them published in New York. For years they were sold to help fund our mission trips, but several years ago I decided to put all of them online for free. Eventually the videos were dubbed into Mandarin for the church in mainland China. Still today I get many emails from people who've found these videos useful in conjunction with the use of my beginning grammar. I never read an email without thinking back to Becky's vision to tape these lectures. 

Happiness in marriage is elusive. You can't directly attain it. It appears to be the byproduct of living a caring, loving, and sacrificial life. Certain events can make you feel happy (like the birth of a child), but happiness in such instances is temporary. The one thing that lasts is living for something bigger than yourselves and your marriage. I am so glad for the way God used our marriage despite all of our flaws as a married couple. Human love is a reflection (a pale one, to be sure) of the eternal, selfless love of God himself, revealed on the cross. Marriages provide many opportunities to do just that. 

Here, by the way, is a picture of our class in Addis showing the videographers at work. 

And here are the 25 students who finished the 6-week course. 

We presented each one with their own copy of the United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament. They had worked hard for it! Again, this was (unbelievably) 20 years ago. And all because of Becky's foresight and imagination. 

Oops -- almost forgot. Here are the videos. 😊

The Value of Gym Trainers

Never underestimate the value of a good gym trainer. They are there to help not only their own clients but other gym members that ask. Especially if you're new to lifting, hiring a trainer will help to make you more confident in performing your exercises. Some gyms will give you free sessions when you sign a membership contract. See if it works for you. 

I can't speak too highly of the four trainers we have at our local Y. It's been fun trying to get stronger with their help. Today one of them gave me some very helpful advice on how to do neutral grip pull ups correctly. He told me, then he showed me, then he videoed me, and finally he critiqued me. He really knows his stuff. 

A good trainer is absolutely a Godsend. Thank you, Jordan! 

What Did You Train Today?

So, guys and gals ...

Today's workout was soooo good. 

I did the following: 

-- Lat pull downs

-- Standing dumbbell curls

-- Pull ups

-- Hammer curls

-- Incline dumbbell press

Oh, and a 2-hour treadmill walk afterwards!

What did you train today? Remember, we're in this together. Let's lock in, lift each other up, and make some awesome progress this month! 

Congratulations, Jayden!

Did you happen to see this? Seems an Arkansas student earned a perfect score on the National Spanish Exam. Way to go, Jayden! 

I'm so happy for you. Keep growing and excelling, young man. 

Introducing "The Bible Professor" YouTube Channel

Mel Winstead is one of my former Ph.D. students. He wrote an excellent dissertation on the famous warning passage in Hebrews 6. He currently serves as Professor of Biblical Studies at Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte. Recently he began a YouTube channel called The Bible Professor. I think you'd enjoy perusing it. There you'll find videos like:

• Science Proves God
• Discernment Is Our Duty
• Pastors Should Know Apologetics
• Equal Treatment for the Unborn
• Why Salvation Is by Faith Alone

Recently he interviewed yours truly. That interview was posted today in case you'd like to view it. 

Mel has outstanding gifts both as an apologist and a teacher which are enriching the church. To me he personifies the combination of enthusiasm and intellectual rigor, and I thank God for him. 

Thank you, Mel, for the honor of being on your channel! 

A Good Reminder

"I don't know what the heart of a bad man is like. But I know what the heart of a good man is like, and it's terrible." --Ivan Turgenev. 

Antietam As You Have Never Seen It Before

This is seriously good. 

What Fitness Is -- and Isn't

Fitness isn't some 30-day challenge for me. 

It's how I'm going to live my life.

I promise you: This is super simple stuff. 

It works. 

It truly works. 

Don't look for some quick fix. 

It's all about consistency over a long period of time.

You're gonna love your workouts.

You're gonna love eating better.

Fitness for me is now working out 6 days a week for about 3 hours every day (including my steps). 

I don't recommend you go out and start working out like this. It's just something I've slowly progressed to. 

And I just love it, almost as much as I love my daily time in the word and prayer. 

It's a massive mental challenge for me. 

And I LOVE challenges. 

It isn't just about looking fit. 

It's about feeling good about yourself. 

The choices you make each day slowly weave a tapestry that creates how you live on this earth. 

It's so important that you are very intentional with every single day in what you're doing. 

Every morning I pray, "Lord, since this day is a special gift from you, I will live it enthusiastically for you." 

It's not about fitness and nutrition. 

It's about truly embarking on the journey of a lifetime. 

Serious Bible Study Is Not Just for Scholars

I believe that one of the greatest challenges in the church today is intellectualism. Of course, I also see a strong anti-intellectual streak as well. But intellectualism is an even graver danger. Some scholars have so intellectualized the faith that it seems beyond the reach of everyday Christians. Seminary grads are often seen as out of touch with the people in the pew. One example is the trend in modern textual criticism. Someone has even suggested that when lay people get involved in this form of biblical interpretation they engage in "drive by" textual criticism. Academics now seem out of touch with the people in our churches. 

The Spirit of God is not to be tamed. Neither is he to be intellectualized. Serious Bible study is not just for scholars. It is for the whole church. 

No Bolder Boulder This Year

For the past few years I've raced the Bolder Boulder 10K in Boulder, Colorado. The event takes place each year on Memorial Day. The 10K is certainly one of my favorite race distances, and the Bolder Boulder is my favorite 10K race of all time. There's a bit too much going on family-wise this year for me to travel to Denver, so I've stayed home. To run this race with 50,000 other runners from all walks of life made it one of the best experiences I've ever had. 

Running (I hope) makes me a better person inside and out. Trying for new goals will never get old. 

On the course during last year's race. 

Life Is Not a Dress Rehearsal

Howdy folks. Care for a quick update? Of course you do!

Just finished my work on the farm. You know, chores like mowing the lawns, picking up fallen branches and tree limbs, and inspecting all the barns (there are 9 of them). I'm glad to report they are all empty. That's right. The Lord blessed the kids' business, and all of their winter hay is sold out. Time now to replenish the stock. 

But today wasn't all work and no play. I began my day at the local Bojangles. It's where I do my daily Bible time. In The Sound of Music, Maria had her

• raindrops on roses
• whiskers on kittens
• bright copper kettles
• warm woolen mittens
• brown paper packages tied up with strings

Maria could have added Bo's coffee.

Then it was off to the gym for my lifting session. Yes, I look happy here. Working out is nothing but a delight.

After an hour or so of lifting it was time to get in my steps. Today I decided to return to a trail I hadn't visited in a long time -- the Tobacco Heritage Trail right here in good old South Boston, USA. 

It's a nice enough trail all right. Lots of bugs through. That's probably because it's so close to the Dan River. 

As you can see, it was a lovely day for a walk.  

Have you heard the old saying, "Life is not a dress rehearsal"? You have only one life to live, the one you're living right now. Think about that. How do you want to live it? If you don't make it happen, you're the one who has the most to lose. Not to mention the fact that the people around you have a lot to gain from you when you're the most fulfilled self you can be. Pick a goal. Big or small. Then go for it. Don't pine for things to be different. An extraordinary life is quietly waiting for you beneath all that is ordinary. It screams at us, STOP PUTTING IT OFF. 

Life may not be tomorrow. 

But it most certainly is today. 

The Gift of Running

Just back from a 9-mile run. I am forever grateful for running. I never return from a run without a renewed appreciation for this blessing. It's an escape as much as it's a therapy session. Runners relish the fact that they can run. They don't have to. It's never a chore. It's always a gift. Forget all the "rules" and expectations and just go. It's a great way to get your daily steps in. 

Sure, your feet will look like a disaster (black toenails, calluses), but you will totally feel like a rock star. 

Thank you, Lord, for this gift! 

Surfing Is Not for Youth Only

Watch this amazing video of Brian Wilson sing his famous composition "Surf's Up." 

It's one of the most hauntingly beautiful tunes I know. The first time I heard it I was speechless.

Interestingly, "Surf's Up" has nothing to do with surfing. It's a play on words referring to the Beach Boys shedding their surfing image. "Surfin' USA" was now "columnated ruins domino." (For the song's lyrics, go here.) They had left the innocent surfing days behind -- much to the chagrin of Mike Love, who wanted more surfing songs. No, said Brian Wilson. "Surf's up," he wrote, "aboard a tidal wave." The song reflects the blissful innocence of youth, the moment that it is lost, and the trial of what is yet to come. 

For almost two decades, surfing was my life. All that changed when I left Hawaii for Biola College. I still surfed in California, but my days were now largely spent preparing for my career, for marriage, and for raising a family. Yet the child in me hasn't quite gone away. 

I find it highly ironic that as we age and our bodies decline, the desire to surf only increases. Surfing offers devotees of the sport -- falsely -- tantalizing longevity. On the other hand, some have called surfing a "late-blossoming pastime." I've personally found that to be true. Even though I'm almost 73, I think I'm just now realizing how important surfing is to me and have begun to really appreciate it. 

This doesn't mean I'll surf forever. I won't. But I don't worry much about that. I've decided that surfing gets better as you get older. I'll enjoy the sport as a gift from God as long as he enables me to do it. 

We Are All Human

The other day a Boeing 777 was departing from a major U.S. airport when the pilot had to suddenly abort the takeoff. Instead of pulling back on the yoke at V1, he pulled back on the throttles! The technical term for this is "accidental muscle memory." Thankfully the pilot quickly responded to correct the situation and prevented a disaster from happening.

When I lived in Germany, driving was a breeze because they drive on the right side of the road like we do. But the U.K. is another story. You automatically want to drive on the right instead of on the left. It requires a LOT of concentration for an American to do it right. Likewise, I have two bikes. One has rotary gear shifters and one has thumb shifters. Sometimes I find myself reaching for a thumb shifter that isn't there. 😏

You get the point.

My takeaways from the airport incident?

1. People make mistakes.

2. What matters is how we respond to them.

IOW, we are all human. Therefore we slip up. I learned long ago that to be a better, stronger, more successful runner/lifter/climber/surfer etc., I need to keep making mistakes to help me fine tune what works for me. Life is not about being perfect. It's about learning and improving. The airline pilot I mentioned above had 6,156 hours of total flying time. Yet at a critical moment, his muscle memory tripped him up. You can know intellectually what to do and not do it. When I first starting running I went way too hard. I even did two marathons on back to back Sundays. You just want to do ALL the races! You know you should hold back but you can't. Then you either get injured or burn out. Now you get it.

Friend, be the best YOU can be. And when you screw up, admit it and move on. 

For the Love of Music

My playlist during today's workout included:

Good Vibrations

Sister Golden Hair

Don't Worry Baby

We Just Disagree 

Saturday in the Park

The Things We Do for Love

Diamond Girl

God Only Knows

Turn to Stone

Suzie Q (Long Version)

Take the Long Way Home

Lyin' Eyes

Catch a Wave

Tracks of My Tears 

Brandy

Ventura Highway

Back in the High Life Again

Africa

Message in a Bottle

Hope you're having a wonderful day! 

Only 6 Weeks to Go

James 3:17 (Wisdom Defined)

Was in James 3:17 this morning. Here's my translation:

The wisdom that comes from above is first of all morally and spiritually blameless.

Then it's peace-loving and non-argumentative.

It's gentle and courteous.

It's reasoned, conciliatory, and willing to listen.

It's full of compassion and good fruits.

It's without a trace of partiality or favoritism.

It's without hypocrisy and self-serving motives.

Even in Old Age (Psalm 93)

Funny thing -- I just "happened" to read Psalm 93 in my Bible time this morning before heading off to the gym. It inspired me!

"Even in old age they will still produce fruit and be vital and green. This honors the Lord, and exalts his faithful care. He is my shelter. There is nothing but goodness in him!"

Amen!

Friend, life goes by so fast. It's as if it's but a breath of air, which is exactly what it is. As I lifted today, I prayed:

Lord, remind me how brief life on this earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered -- how fleeting my life is. My entire life is just a moment to you. At best, it is just a breath. May I therefore honor you with each day you give me.

Just thought I'd share. Have a wonderful day! 

Elisabeth Elliot on Grandchildren

"We never know what our grandchildren are remembering of the example we set. They may not remember a word we say, but they're going to remember our life and our love." -- Elisabeth Elliot. 

Below: Enjoying lunch today at the grandboys' farmhouse celebrating Peyton's 10th birthday and Ira's 4th. 

When You Ask God "Why?"

I read something the other day that I thought was interesting. The author pointed out that when John the Baptist was murdered by Herod, Jesus said nothing. His didn't try to console his followers. He offered no platitudes. He didn't glibly tell them that the Father would bring something good out of it. He explained nothing. All Matthew records is that Jesus slipped away to spend time with his Father and to mourn privately (Matt. 14:12-13). 

Maybe there's a lesson here.

My kids and grandkids are still experiencing the after-effects of their car accident a month ago. MRI's, x-rays, PT appointments, constant aches and pains, loss of work, the hassle of trying to find a replacement van. The list seems endless. Sometimes I wonder why God allowed such a senseless accident to occur. My kids are good, hard-working people who don't live high off the hog. It all seems so unfair. 

The plain hard truth is that evil exists in the world. And because it exists in the world, each and every one of us can expect to experience the pains of life. No one knew this better than Jesus. He knew that nobody was immune to suffering, himself included. The whys of life must be left to him. When we see him face to face we'll discover why our life turned out as it did. Until then, the believer is called upon to accept what he can't change. 

But not for long. Soon and very soon, every tear will be wiped away without a trace of pain or mourning. At the end of the long night, there will be light.

In the meantime, stand firm. The Lord stands beside you. 

Don't Skip Rest Days!

I'm so proud of myself. I'm taking not one but two rest days in a row. 

Expert lifters will tell you: Muscles grow during recovery, not during training. Rest days also provide a necessary mental break from training. Plus they uniquely lower your overall systemic fatigue. 

Rest days aren't a sign of weakness or lack of dedication. They are a non-negotiable component of proper training. They allow you to recover effectively, prevent burnout, and ultimately achieve better results -- like maybe catching a big wave in Hawaii or summiting a tough peak in the Alps. 

You grow when you rest.

So rest. 

😉

Getting to Know Jesus

When you look for a "doctor father" to guide your Ph.D. program, you'll try to get to know everything you can about him. Ideally you should have at least one interview with him in person. But for a well-rounded picture, you'll need to spend time talking with his associates and former students. This should give you a fairly balanced impression of who he is.

In trying to get to know Jesus Christ, the same method applies. You begin in the Gospels, reading what Jesus said about himself. A red letter edition of the Bible can be helpful here. In addition, you'll want to read what those who knew him best had to say. John's Gospel is a good example. He interpreted Jesus' life as only a close friend could. 

Then there's Paul. Though he never met the earthly Jesus, his epistles are full of reflection and commentary. He knew the Savior well, and he wants us to get to know him as well as he does.

I'd give anything to able to talk to Jesus in person. But I know that won't happen until I see him face to face. Until then, I can still see him clearly through his word. So can you. 

The Prayer of Jabez

I love the story of Jabez in 1 Chron. 4:9-10. It's a cameo appearance if ever there was one. The man is basically a nobody, a bit player on a huge stage. But one day he decided to ask God to give him bigger challenges and to expand his territory. He wanted more opportunities out of life, and he got them.

That's exactly what happened to me 11 years ago after the death of my wife. I asked, and he granted my requests. 

My friend, God is eager to do the same for you. If you're content with the rut you're in, maybe it's time to pray that God would enlarge your horizon. A relationship healed, a past memory erased, a sin forgiven, a habit broken, an alienated family member reconciled, a financial setback reversed, a feeling of inferiority replaced with a sense of self-worth -- nothing is too hard for God. Christ himself said so. "What is impossible for people is possible with God" (Luke 18:17). 

Nothing is too difficult for him. 

Achieving True Mastery of an Exercise

If you're new to lifting, you don't learn good form overnight. It takes hundreds if not thousands of reps to achieve true mastery of an exercise. If your form isn't perfect during the first month or two of your training, I wouldn't necessarily call that a terrible thing. But by the one year mark at the latest you should definitely be on point. 

The truth is that you need to spend dedicated time and effort to actually learning a movement. You shouldn't be just loading weight off the bat. This is why there are so many injuries from weight training. So my recommendation is to spend your first few weeks and months learning good form. Choose a weight that's not very challenging and just see if your form improves week after week. In learning how to perfect a band-assisted pull up, for example, this might involve how to retract your scapula before beginning the movement or being sure to lower yourself all the way back down so that your shoulder blades are stabilized before beginning to pull yourself up again. Next you might want to work on proper breathing or keeping your legs fairly straight while you're performing the exercise. 

Even if you're a few years into your fitness career, don't just automatically think that you already know everything you need to know about having good form on every single exercise you do in your program. Record yourself (as I did today) and make sure that your form is similar enough to a trusted professional. 

You have to be fully in control of the movement at all times, not only on the concentric part, but on the eccentric part as well on the way down. Moving forward, always have the mindset that says you can be performing that movement better and listen to your body if you're feeling any pain or undue muscle soreness, which might be a sign you're doing something wrong. 

Hope this helps! 

It's Your Birthright to Run

Got a grandson who LOVES to run. So every chance I get I send him (via his mom) vids and pics of my "exploits" haha. 

His name is Chesley and we are planning on running our first kid's mile together this summer. 

Eventually he'll probably take after his Papa B and begin running the High Bridge Trail himself. 

After all, ya never know who you might run across. 

Anyhoo, after 9 miles I was able to get in today's steps. 

Such great fun!

It's everyone's birthright to run. There's something magical about both of your feet being in the air at the same time. Ready to feel this yourself? Find a trail and go for it! 

Overweight? I Get It.

Overweight? I get it. I've been there. But something changed. I was tired of a lifestyle that kept me overweight and out of shape. When I made the commitment to drop from 35 percent body fat down to 15 percent body fat, it wasn't for vanity but for discipline. It was to gain control over old habits. And everything started to shift from that point on.

Getting lean is difficult. It's a war against your old identity. But if you can do it, even just once, it will change you forever. 

Before you start, you need to know where you are right now. When I first committed to getting lean, I took photos that genuinely made me cringe. 

But here's the truth. Clarity is power. I didn't like what I saw, but those pictures I took were the fuel I needed. I couldn't believe that I had let things slip so much. The camera doesn't lie. I began to track my weight daily, not to obsess over it, but to see the trend. This is where your "why" needs to kick in. You ask yourself, "What type of person do I want to be? Someone who gives in whenever they get hungry? Or someone who's building discipline?" This isn't a temporary diet phase. This is a lifestyle change. If you want to be lean then you have to become the type of person who lives an active lifestyle. This kind of disciplined mindset just bleeds into everything else in your life. 

The fittest people don't just work out. They see themselves as people who respect and take care of their bodies. If you want to have a great physique you have to change your identity. You need to take a long look at yourself in the mirror and decide who you want to be. Don't just say "I want to lose weight." Say, "I am an athlete in training." Go ahead. Write it down on a sheet of paper:

I AM AN ATHLETE.

Then prove it to yourself with small wins each and every day. Think of two guys trying to quit smoking. One of them is offered a cigarette and replies, "No thanks, I'm trying to quit." The other person is offered a cigarette and says, "No thanks, I don't smoke." The second person has adopted an entirely new identity, and their actions are just going to follow suit. 

The same applies to fitness. If you have to force yourself to go to the gym, it's not going to work. But if you start saying, "I am an athlete who never misses a workout," suddenly the gym is just a part of who you are. 

So who do you want to be? Someone who forces himself to follow a diet? Or someone who's just doing what an athlete does? Most people fail because they don't know how to make this pivot. 

Fitness is about building a foundation for success over every aspect of your life. If I can do it at my age, you definitely can do it as well. 

When A Is the New C

"Praise is warming and desirable. But it is an earned thing. It has to be deserved, like a hug from a child." -- Phyllis McGinley.

The message from the educational elites is clear:

• Don't give Ds or Fs.
• Inflate your grades to be more "fair."
• Boost test scores to get parents off your back.
• Your standards are too high.

I'm not about to do it. Not on your life. If I have to, I will give you a D or an F. Unearned grades help no one.

It should be no surprise that grade inflation has followed students into grad school. Some profs hesitate to grade accurately because they fear student evaluations,. Students are now accustomed to cherry-picking easy-grading teachers while administrators turn a blind eye. (Lowered standards = more students graduating.) Parents are stunned when their more-than-average children are failed.

Today I'm working on my final grades for the semester. I have mixed feelings about the process. The true goal of learning is not a grade or a degree. Unfortunately, grades and degrees are now little more than proxies for a genuine education. The result has been the inflation of both. So grade-assigning has its weaknesses. But unearned grades are even worse.

If you get a bad grade, don't act as if your professor is Scrooge or suspect him or her of being unfair. I'll never forget the first class I got a C in when I was in college. It stung. I needed that wake up call. Thankfully I had a prof who rejected sham work. 

For the record, I oppose grade inflation, but I am 100 percent in favor of rising grades. I am grateful that, for the most part, the students in my classes receive consistently high scores. But they work for their grades. Deep down, I believe they share my support of a grading scheme where a C is still average. 

How to Get In Your Daily Step Count

If you're trying to get in your daily steps, you might try to do what I do. Use the gym's treadmill to get in the number of steps you want to walk daily. 

For me, that's generally a minimum of 20,000 steps. That usually takes me about 3 hours. After about 10,000 steps, I take a coffee break to get some caffeine on board. 

Often I will finish by walking on the YMCA's outdoor track. 

If I have any steps left, I'll shoot baskets. Being the klutz that I am, I miss about 70 percent of my shots, but that doesn't matter as I'm still getting in my step count. 

Et voila! Here are my steps as of noon today. 

So there you have it! 😄

Two Tips to Take Off Those Unwanted Pounds

When you're trying to lose body fat (as I am), make sure your gym sessions are of a good quality. This is the most important thing to make sure you're keeping your muscle mass throughout this process. If you're going to sacrifice anything when it comes to your gym sessions, sacrifice volume.

Do not sacrifice intensity. Don't just slog your way through your sets either. Do 1-2 really high quality sets of each exercise. Be sure to maintain good tension on the muscle along with solid protein amounts. That will allow you to keep this muscle while you're losing an insane amount of fat.

Also, be sure to get in your daily steps. I easily walk 15-20,000 steps a day. It's not impossible. 

Today's step count. 

Yes, it's a bit challenging at first, but wow, the results are amazing. Walking is the greatest and most underutilized tool for fat loss. When you walk, your body isn't looking for an immediate source of energy to burn as fuel, so it ends up using your stored energy (aka, fat cells) to burn as fuel. It's truly beautiful how much fat you can lose just by walking. It's easy to do. It's sustainable. You recover quickly from it. And it doesn't hurt your joints. 

So to recap: During your workout, make sure that your intensity and form are on point for every set and every rep. Remember, it's easy to get complacent and just go through the motions, so making sure you have that intensity is very important. Also, a commitment to daily walking will definitely help speed up the results, especially if you're not active in your daily job. All of this combined definitely correlated to me losing a lot more fat.

A Simple Lifting Hack

Instead of going to the gym and just thinking "I'm going to hit my back today," say "I'm going to practice pull ups and get really good at doing them." 

That tends to direct people in the right direction because by perfecting the skill they'll get more out of the exercise. With better technique they end up getting stronger versus just trying to fatigue a particular muscle group, which typically results in poor form. 

Just a thought 😀

You Never Forget

The consequences of a death in the family never really end. Not even after 11 years. You feel the effects of the loss especially on days like birthdays and Mother's Day. Even if I were to remarry, I would still feel the loss until the day I die. 

Never have I felt more broken. Yet never have I been more aware of the power of God's grace and my need for it. 

I will alway remember the wife God gave me as a precious gift who will live on in my heart forever. Thank you, Phil Collins, for putting this into words and music. 

Happy Birthday!

My wife would have turned 72 today. 

Becky as a child in Ethiopia. 

Who would have imagined that this amazing person would have said "yes" to me! But she did, and 49 years ago we became husband and wife. I'd ask her again in a heartbeat.

Happy Birthday, sweetheart! 

Fulfilled

The goal of life is to find your gift.

The purpose of life is to give it away.

Tomorrow ends another semester in my career as a teacher. God has called me to teach, and I have tried to be obedient. Teaching is demanding and sometimes frustrating, but it offers the rewards of great joy and fulfillment to those who throw themselves into it with prayer and vision.

All praise to you, O Lord. 

One Habit You MUST Overcome to Get Fit

Gal. 6:9 wasn't written for gym goers. But it might as well have been. Whether we're trying to grow in grace or lose weight or build muscle or overcome a habit or become a better spouse, some incentive is needed for us to keep going. Paul recognizes this. The work of God in our lives is tiring, exhausting work, he says. We are tempted to "become weary" (NIV), "get tired" (CSB), "lose heart" (LSB), "grow weary" (ESV), "get fatigued" (MSG), or "become discouraged" (NASB). I thought alot about that during my workout today at the Y. 

Interestingly, here in Gal. 6:9, Paul's answer to discouragement is based on an agricultural metaphor. (Had Paul once been a farmer?) If, he says, a farmer gets tired of sowing and leaves part of his field unsown, he'll reap only a partial crop. If he wants a full harvest, then he has to finish what he started and then wait patiently for the crops to appear. As someone who's harvested thousands of acres of horse quality hay, I can personally attest to the truth of what he's saying. 

I know tons of people at the gym who know plenty about weight training but just don't go hard enough or long enough to get results. Then they blame their genetics. As a person who's struggled to build consistent fitness habits for most of my adult life, I've learned that health and fitness isn't only about intention. It's about showing up. Perfection is the enemy of the good. Something is always better than nothing. However, because we don't see the rewards immediately, we lose motivation. 

I am happy to say that I've gotten myself to the gym 3 times a week for 3 years now. 

My mantra is "little by little." 

I just remind myself over and over again that all I have to do is stay consistent, and step by step I'll get to where I need to be. 

Hopefully the same works for you. Basically, you just have to make peace with the fact that you won't see the gains happen. But they'll be there one day and catch you by surprise. You won't know when. You just have to keep going by faith and trust the process. 99 percent of the battle is just consistently going and doing something without growing weary and stopping.

Thanks, Paul, for the reminder.

Patient Pigeon-Toed Pedestrian Plods Persistently

Just gettin' in my step count, folks! 😁

Why You Must Exercise As You Age

When I officially retired a few years ago, I had no intention of giving up the energy and vibrant health the Lord had blessed me with most of my adult life. There may not be much rhyme to us ancient mariners marathoners, but we've got plenty of reasons not to be content to just sit and rock. I want to walk or run on the beach, then plunge into the breakers with my surfboard. I want to climb tall mountains. I want to do more triathlons. I want to feel my arms and legs and lungs and heart working together in perfect synchrony while I'm lifting weights. I want to sweat and tan and be lean because I know these simple attainments will boost the enjoyment of my final years. When you're running a marathon, you'll often hear someone say, "Every mile is a gift." This is never truer than at the end of the race. You realize that the finish line is near, and you want to fully appreciate every moment.

When you are an accidental athlete like me, you can't imagine a day without moving. Each new day is something to be cherished and nurtured. Most of us past 70 know that life is short and that we need to embrace every day. Little lessons become essentials, like the fact that rest and recovery after a workout is more important than when you were younger. "Long" runs need to be modified to emphasize quality over quantity. We can't turn the clock back, but we can at least slow its effect on the way we feel and look. Exercise isn't just a way to lose weight or get in some cardio. It's our passion, a powerful internal force that in some cases keeps us alive. After all, why shouldn't we keep trying and training to be the best we can be? Yes, we know that our days are numbered. But we don't want to reach the end of life knowing that we didn't give it our all.

This weekend I plan on getting in a 9 mile run. I'll take more time to warm up and cool down than I did a decade ago. I'll run at a steady pace, just happy to be jogging the miles without pain. Exercise has too many positive effects not to like it. I am hungry for more adventures and races. I don't want to die wondering what I could have been capable of if allowed. As long as God gives me good health, I'll keep doing what I do because I love it. 

Below: Getting in my workout today ....

... and my steps. 

A Betrayal of Biblical Scholarship

New Testament scholar C. H. Dodd, in the introduction to his commentary on the book of Romans, wrote "Sometimes I think Paul was wrong, and I have ventured to say so." 

No sir. You have no liberty to do that. The New Testament apostles wrote with special, divine authority. We have no right today to say, "Well, Paul may have believed such and such, but my view is different."

That would be a betrayal of true biblical scholarship.

Mowing Day

And a beautiful day it was! 

Paul's Use of Metaphor in Phil. 4:10

In Phil. 4:10, Paul writes "Now at length you have revived your concern for me" (ESV). The Greek verb rendered "revived" is found only here in the New Testament. The term is a beautiful metaphor. In ancient Greek, the word was used to describe what I see every year here on the farm -- grass sprouting afresh and flowers bursting into bloom, as this photo I just took illustrates.

Hence translations such as "revived" or "renewed" (CSB) seem to fall short. But the New English Bible nails it:

"Your care for me has now blossomed afresh."

Odd that I could find only one New Testament version in English that seems to capture Paul's metaphor. Just another reason to compare many different translations when reading a passage of Scripture.

Have an amazing day!