Bravo!!

Finally, someone plays this piece at the right tempo. Magnificent! 

Today's Exercise

As you know, I'm thinking about signing up for the Honolulu Marathon on Dec. 13. Coming back from climbing the Alps, I am only up to running about 10 miles at about 20,000 steps at a time. I figure if I can slowly up my mileage without upping my speed or frequency, I would be okay. You know me. I'm all about the 10 percent rule these days. I have 120 days to train. Today I got in only 7 miles before it began to rain. 

Prior to that I did some scapular pull ups to work on my upper body strength. 

It was an amazing day. And I hope it was for you too. Tomorrow I hope to get in 10 miles. 

We will see! 

Fewer Experts, Please

The world needs fewer experts and more teachers. The difference? Experts traffic in ivory towers and theory, and teachers are grounded in the real world and application. 

The Best Greek Students

The best Greek students aren't consistently great, but they are great at being consistent. 

New Exercise: Biceps Chin Ups

Hey guys!

Today the Lord gave me 9 wonderful miles at the high school track. 

Gotta get in those daily steps, right? 

Afterwards I tried out a new exercise called biceps chin ups. If you want to emphasize your biceps a little more during chin ups, you have to use a super narrow grip. The result is an excellent squeeze on the biceps. For biceps gains, be sure to keep your elbows in nice and tight. And when you lower back down, try to keep those elbows in. In addition, if you want your biceps to give out faster, just pause at the top as I did here. 

The burn will be insane. By the time you get to the bottom you'll be wasted, not because your back has given out but because your biceps are burning. 

Tip: When you get to the top position, be sure to squeeze the life out of your biceps! 

Have a wonderful day! 

Faith: The Gift of God! (Eph. 2:8-9)

Wonderful sermon on Sunday on Eph. 2:8-9. Here Paul speaks of (1) grace, (2) salvation, and (3) faith. He adds, "And that not of yourselves." What does "that" refer to -- grace, salvation, or faith? Well, no Christian would try to take credit for grace or salvation. But some might claim faith in that way. You see, God saved us by his grace. But it's we who believe. We were saved when we trusted in Christ. Yet Paul's point is that even faith is the gift of God. This is brought out beautifully in the Living Bible:

"Because of his kindness you have been saved through trusting in Christ. And even trusting is not of yourselves; it too is a gift from God." 

I love that! Phil. 1:29 puts it this way: "God has granted you the gift of believing." Hence my definition of eternal security: "Eternal security is the work of God that guarantees that the gift of salvation, once received by faith, cannot be lost."

Faith is a gift from God!!! 

Why Worry?

Never let your worry list be longer than your prayer list. 

How to Stay Lean While Traveling

You don't need to lose your gains while on the road. Long flights, random hotels, no routine -- all these make it tough. But when discipline is in place, you can actually maintain your weight while you're gone. 

God Is Good!

Today's steps. 

Can't believe it was only a month and a half ago that I was running 9 miles on Oahu. 

God is good!

Greek Starts Tonight!

At my Wake Forest office, loving me some A. T. before class tonight. 

Brushing up on the history of the Greek language. 

Life don't get any better than this. 

Mowing -- and Praying

I'm so grateful! It was finally dry enough to mow! 

It was a great opportunity to pray for my kids. No service rendered to our children is more important than our intercession. A dad's job is to supplicate for his children, to stand in the gap, to ask for God's intervention in their lives. 

Are your children well prayed for? Jesus is the stability they need and want. 

Is Another Marathon in the Making?

Now that my mountaineering desire has been somewhat satiated by my Riffelhorn climb, I think I might get back into endurance running. It was so much fun to do a 10 mile run today. 

It allowed me to easily get in today's step count. 

I've even begun entertaining the idea of running another marathon this fall. The last one I did was in Fort Worth. I was one of the last runners out on the course that day. I did manage to finish under the time limit. But it was a struggle. I'm not someone who thinks finish lines should be open all day long. A cut off time is perfectly reasonable. The marathon distance is the ultimate challenge. Running is still my passion, my hobby, my sanity if you will. I finally feel ready to start marathon training again. A marathon symbolizes the Cadillac of accomplishments. You can't be out of shape and complete a marathon. That's just not happening. I've missed doing the marathon. I have no clue if and when I'll be able to qualify for Boston. I've tried to do this 20 times and failed each time. Merely the idea of running another marathon makes me tired. You are running a silly marathon! Between you and me, I don't think I have what it takes to make it to Boston. But I can still try. 

I'm looking into the Honolulu Marathon in December. There's no time limit for the event, and running it in December promises cooler weather than in, say, July or August. It's a clearly marked course. There are many water stations with electrolyte drinks as well. It's almost a flat course (except for Diamond Head). 

There are 47,000 runners. (I like big races.) They even have malasadas at the end. 

We'll see. I'm asking the Lord for wisdom. I would love to qualify for Boston. My chances are quickly dwindling as I age. Boston is elite and exclusive. Only about the top 5 percent of marathoners get a bib. These are people who've made running a lifestyle. What's more, they just lowered the cutoff times by 5 minutes. But if we had no challenges in life we'd be bored. You have two choices. You choose your challenges. You make it happen. Or else you do nothing and wait for life to throw something your way. But then you're on the defensive. 

Would you rather create your own challenges and chase down the dreams you want, or wait till you have to fight your way through whatever life throws at you? 

The choice is yours. 

Not Enough

What got me up the Riffelhorn a week ago? 

Well, the answer hit me right between the eyes this morning. And again, Hebrew proves its solid worth. I'm talking about these two words in Psa. 40:2.

We might pronounce them something like kownen ashuray. They mean "He established my steps" or "He made my steps firm." The idea seems to be:

• He enabled me to walk along.
• He conducted me along in safety.
• He kept me from stumbling or falling.
• He established my goings.
• He removed me from the danger that surrounded me.
• He gave me firm ground under my feet.

I love how the New Living Translation renders them:

He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.

And that's exactly what happened out there on the mountain. God put steel in my bones. He met my needs in that pit of despair I had gotten myself in. And he gave me a new song. But it didn't come right away.

• The right mountain guide and the best training -- not enough.
• Excellent physical conditioning and preparation -- not enough.
• Superior weather and climbing conditions -- not enough.

It was enough for me when God set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. 

Getting Your First Pull Up

For years I couldn't do a single pull up. Not even with poor form. Not even an inch. Zero. I found that so frustrating. It took me a year and a half before I could do my first unassisted pull up. Pull ups are insanely hard. But once you've unlocked them, they are insanely fun. This includes the band-assisted pull up. 

One reason why pull ups are so hard is because you're pulling your entire body weight. With a push up, you're only pushing about 60 percent of your body weight. That's because your feet are planted on the ground during a push up. But with a pull up you're lifting your entire body weight vertically with no (or very little) support. 

Also, did you know that our pulling musculature tends to be a lot weaker than our pulling musculature? That's why it's easier to train your pushing muscles than your pulling muscles. A lot of activities surrounding daily life involve pushing rather than pulling -- pushing to get off the ground, pushing a grocery cart, pushing to open a door. And so our pulling muscles can get a little bit neglected. Most likely, your push is a little stronger than your pull. Which means that your pull muscles are probably undertrained. 

A pull up challenges your strength, your grip, your coordination, and your control all at once. And that's a lot to ask of your body! But that's why it's also so worth it. 

If you keep practicing and staying consistent with it, I'm sure you'll be able to get that first pull up. 

Three Kinds of Preachers

That great professor of preaching, Haddon Robinson, once said there are three kinds of preachers:

1. Those you can't listen to.
2. Those you can listen to.
3. Those you must listen to.

Preacher, please be the latter. 

Don't Ask a Fish to Define Water (Part 1)

In a couple of weeks I'm scheduled to be interviewed about my book on the Pauline authorship of Hebrews. I'm sure some are wondering why I've taken to defending such an obscurantist position. 

I suppose a good place to start would be to confess my decades-long adherence to the majority position. Which reminds me of a saying I ran across on one of my visits to China:

"If you want to know what water is, don't ask a fish."

One's first reaction to this statement might be to ask, "Why not?" After all, fish can't survive without water. They depend on it for their very existence. In fact, they are literally immersed in it. Still, they have no clue what water is. It's such a big part of their lives that they're oblivious to it.

Perhaps there's an application here to our culture today. Specifically, to our evangelical subculture. Believe it or not, we can exist in the midst of this environment and become so much a part of it that we become oblivious to it and to what it's doing to us. Before long we find ourselves thinking like everyone else in this subculture. I call it "evangelical group think (EGT)." We don't see what's actually happening. Instead, we react to it. Before we know it, we've succumbed to the ever-present pressure to fit into it like a hand in a glove. Such unthinking conformity is not what the Lord wants for his people. 

When I began teaching at Biola I met a young hiree in the New Testament department who'd just completed his doctorate. He had written it on the Gospel of Matthew. He was kind enough to show it to me. Now, the dissertation had nothing to do per se with the synoptic problem. Yet I noticed that in the introductory chapter he had come out in support of Markan priority. When I asked him if that was a strongly held conviction of his, he was very honest with me. "No," he said. "But I knew that my dissertation would have never been approved had I espoused any view other than the two-source hypothesis." 

This is perhaps a simple reminder that in the realm of New Testament studies it's easy to be caught up in what we're oblivious to. The tendency is to allow the subculture around us to squeeze us into its own mold. I see this happening all the time. I should know, as I'm a charter member of the EGT club.

(More in part 2.) 

Thankful

I'm thankful for the steps the Lord allowed me to get in today. 

I'm thankful for our local running path that enables runners and walkers to exercise on comfortable crushed gravel. 

I'm thankful that I have the resources to drive to and from the trail. Not everyone has this resource. 

I'm thankful that I have a nice place to come home to, cook dinner, and relax before doing my afternoon chores. 

I'm thankful for all of it.

What are you thankful for today? 

Adoramus Te, Christe

Indeed we do. 

O, the Joy of Being a Greek Teacher

Matthew Arnold said it well:

Rigorous teachers seized my youth,

And purged its faith and trimmed its fire,

Showed me the high, white star of Truth,

There bade me gaze and there aspire.

Walking Is Literally the Best Exercise Not Just for Fat Loss But for Fitness in General

Here are my steps from today.

I'm 73 and have been officially retired since I was 69 though I'm still teaching 2-4 classes a year and I'm still farming. I walk between 12,000 to 20,000 steps per day. I've lost over 40 pounds and I feel great. 

Walking has completely changed my body. I've gone from walking almost nowhere to walking 2-3 hours per day. My cardiologist has never been happier. My stress levels, blood pressure, and wallet are also benefitted significantly from making walking a wonderful way of life. This is not another silly gimmick or diet hack but a simple but highly effective daily habit to help you lose fat and lean down considerably. It's something that can make a considerable difference to your fat burning progress if you implement it consistently. I am now at my lowest body fat percentage in years and can actually see muscle. 

Walking is now a non-negotiable part of my day. The overall health improvement I've gotten, aside from the fat loss, has been amazing in itself. Walking allows you to burn a significant amount of calories while putting minimal stress on your body as a whole. It's very easy to stick to and that's absolutely crucial. You can literally walk as much as you want and get that calorie expenditure without running into systemic stress or joint damage. Just by incorporating this one simple thing into your day can have a tremendous effect on your overall health and fitness. 

Please consider making walking a regular part of your day!

How to Do a Lat Pulldown

When doing a lat pulldown, be sure that your torso is set to the right angle when you pull the bar down. Leaning back from the vertical means that you will be shortening the focus of the exercise to the muscles in the upper back. Target the upper chest muscles at around the height of the collar bones. Make sure that you are also in control of the eccentric portion of the lift -- the ascent of the lat pulldown bar. Intensify the exercise over time. 

It's just that simple. 

Great and Wonderful Are Your Works, O God!

Scanning Youtube, I see about a billion videos telling you what to see on a visit to Switzerland. Well, I've been all over that country and can tell you that if you don't visit the Gornergrat, you have really missed it. Here's the view I'm talking about.

At the Gornergrat you'll find this plaque when you exit your gondola:

No truer words were ever spoken. The sign reads:

_________________________

Great and wonderful

are your works,

Lord, Almighty God (Rev. 15:3). 

_________________________

Mountains raised high

their Creator praise,

snow-capped peaks,

rocks, high treetops

praise God's majesty! 

There's always a breathtaking view from a mountaintop, and all that glory goes to God. We must remember that this is all his handiwork. This is beauty and majesty that God created. Just think: A mountain top experience is a taste of what eternal life has in store for us in heaven. I'm sure I can't even imagine. 

None of us knows what the rest of our journey on this earth will be like. I do know that it will not be an easy route for any of us. For now, let us keep climbing with Jesus. Let us praise God on the mountain. Let us search for his beauty in the midst of our circumstances. Let us wave a palm branch and proclaim that victory is of the Lord!

The Myth of the Lone Ranger Athlete

Here's what I think is an interesting video. 

It shows me taking turns doing pull ups yesterday with a group of high school football players. We're like "You can do it" to one another. 

Friend, there's no rule that you have to succeed at your task alone. That's ludicrous. Wisdom loves company. It may not take a village (sorry Hillary), but asking for help isn't a sign of weakness. Welcome it when it comes. 

There is no such thing as Super-lifter, only Super-friends. None of us is perfect, and we need each other more than we think. 

It's Not Rocket Science, Folks

Education: Not Just for Information

Jesus' disciples were attracted to him because of his life.

They became devoted to him because of his love.

Classes at the seminary start in two weeks.

I pray that my classes won't be just informational.

I pray they will be transformational. 

Is there anything more a teacher could ask for? 

God, Our "Cliff of Ages" (Isa. 26:4)

It may sound weird, but climbing isn't meant to be all about enjoyment. It's meant to be a challenge. It's meant to be a chance to improve performance. It's meant to help you become stronger. 

Every single climb I've done over the past 9 years has been extremely challenging. I get so sick of hearing myself and lots of other people making excuses for why they're not doing the things they want to do. Climbing, like anything else in life, is a decision. You make it a part of your life and you GO. That's it.

Every single climb I've done has taught me an important lesson. Actually, several important lessons. Often they provide insights into something I read in the Bible. Like this last climb. Let me give you an example. 

The Anglican minister Augustus Toplady once wrote a hymn called "Rock of Ages." It was based on a footnote in the KJV for Isa. 26:4. Tradition has it that Toplady drew his inspiration for the title from an incident that happened to him in Burrington Combe, England -- a cliff where he found shelter during a storm. 

This led me to examine the verse he used, Isa. 26:4. Here Isaiah refers to God as our tsoor owlamim, our "rock eternal" or "rock of ages." The word tsoor properly refers to a sharp rock or a rock wall. The term could well be rendered "cliff." It depicts a crag that offers water, shade, shelter, and protection. Israel's topography is dotted with such stony landscapes, as are the Alps. The Riffelhorn is one such tsoor. 

Now that I've climbed it, I believe I have a better understanding of what Isaiah meant when he called God our tsoor owlamim. 

Figuratively, it means that God is our security. His protection is unassailable. 

Like a rugged cliff face, the safety he provides is steady, immovable, unshakable. 

I love that!

Friend, do not grow weary in the battle, even though sometimes God gives us more that we feel we can handle. With God, we can climb cliffs! He gives us the needed strength, hope, and courage. Faith helps us to hold on and prevail even on rocky crags. But we must humble ourselves and admit our weakness and receive his help. "He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand," wrote the Psalmist. "He put a new song in my mouth. a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him" (Psa. 40:2-3). "He is my strength and my song" (Exod. 15:2). "Apart from me, you can do nothing" (John 15:5). He will make us "strong, firm, and steadfast" (1 Pet. 5:10). 

He is our tsoor owlamim!

Regardless

I recently heard Chuck Swindoll define biblical love. "Love is doing what's best for the other person, regardless." Regardless of the cost to you. Regardless of the other person. The other person might not reciprocate your love. Doesn't matter. The cost to you might not be appreciated by the other person. Love them anyway. Christian love is non-reciprocating. 

That's how I want to love others, beginning with my family. Lord, help me to do so!

Back to My "Mundane" Life

And loving it. 

Don't get me wrong. Travel is great. But it's not going to make you a fulfilled person. 

If all you did was travel the world and climb mountains, it would look like a bell curve. If you constantly lived that life it would become boring. Psychologists call it the hedonic treadmill. Basically, whatever situation you're in, you get used to it. This even happens to people who are "living the dream." Accept the fact that you will have to do mundane things in life and that it will become boring. 

Today, as per usual, I was back at the gym. 

Not a big deal. Same old same old, really. Got in my steps (my knee is back to normal thankfully). 

Did some barbell curls. 

Did some pull ups. 

Sure, there is pride in climbing a mountain peak. But there's just as much pride, if not more, in working or studying or cleaning or cooking or grocery shopping or changing diapers or doing finances or working out. These things aren't unimportant. In fact, failing to do them consistently will stop you from living your dream life. 

You are actually being an adult when you do these things. You learn to find ways to get used to the boring. You learn to savor every moment rather than just the "big" events in life. You work on improving what you can and accepting all the rest. You stop focusing so much on yourself and your happiness and you give your time and energy to others. You cherish each day the Lord gives you. You listen to birds singing and the wind blowing. You laugh with friends and family. You take care of yourself and get rid of your neuroticisms. 

Even people who have everything don't spend all their time vacationing in the Bahamas. Having good relationships, or a good body, or a clean home, or a great job, or close friends -- all these take a lot of energy even though they are "mundane." An old saying puts it best: "Life is like an old-time rail journey: delays, sidetracks, dust, and sudden jolts, interspersed only occasionally with beautiful vistas or thrilling bursts of speed." 

It boils down to: Enjoy the journey. Be grateful for the mundane things in life. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Building daily routines over the long haul is the best way to achieve great things. 

Fueling the Climb

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. 

During my week-long stay in Zermatt, I ate pretty much what the average climber eats on a daily basis. That would be coffee along with a gipfeli and a bread roll with jam and butter for breakfast ... 

... and then a fairly heavy lunch often consisting of pasta. 

Nothing too out of the ordinary for sure. There's a reason why there aren't any Swiss restaurants on the planet. Swiss food is typically bland. On the other hand, it was hard work not to give in to the constant temptation to indulge myself in all of the different chocolates and cheeses Zermatt offered. Still, I ended up eating more pasta than I normally consume and I was sure I had put on several pounds while gone. Happily, that didn't happen. But that didn't stop me from pigging out on Friday in Geneva. I went to a Persian restaurant and, as a celebratory meal, I ordered some amazing lamb. 

Yes, this is actually TWO meals. 

I was first introduced to this wonderful cuisine on a trip to Iran years ago. I think Persian food should be as ubiquitous as Italian cuisine is in the US. I mean, it's incredibly delicious. Scrumptious even. 

And thus I fueled myself! 

A Walk Through Appomattox Court House

Early this morning I took a leisurely stroll at one of the prettiest sites in all of Southern Virginia, the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. Got in 2 miles as well as added some nice photos to my collection of pictures of this famous village. Enjoy! 

For the "Love" of Climbing (1 Cor. 13:7)

Does 1 Cor. 13:7 apply to climbing a mountain? Paul writes:

Love never gives up.

It never loses faith.

It is always hopeful.

It endures through every circumstance.

I'll let you be the judge. But in my view, Paul's words apply perfectly to mountaineering. 

How Now Brown Cow

I have become enamored with Swiss cows. Especially of the mountain variety. Here's a couple of them I encountered while out on a run one day. 

There are plenty of hiking trails that cross pastures where cows are grazing. Sometimes you even have to go around them as they are blocking the trails. (They don't know this of course.) There's an entire tourist industry in Switzerland based around cow culture. Cows are cute looking but can be aggressive, so be careful when approaching one. They might not look very aerodynamic, but they can run fast. But since they are everywhere, they're hard to avoid. Remember when approaching a cow that you're in their habitat, not yours. Keep a respectful distance if you can. When you can't, it's still probably safe to approach one, if only to get around them. Speaking Swiss German to them can help. 

Fun fact: In May of this year, a herd of 52 cows had to be evacuated from a village in southern Switzerland amid fears of a landslide. They had to be moo-ved by helicopter! 

Talk About Linguistic Diversity!

One of the things I love the most about Switzerland is its linguistic diversity. After all, it's a quadrilingual country. We may say "Geneva" in English. But it's also Genève, Genf, Ginevra, and Genevra in the chief languages of Switzerland. Even Basel (German) is spelled Bâl (French), Basle (English), and Basilea (Italian). Thankfully, German is the majority language in most of the places I visit in Switzerland -- Basel, Zurich, and Zermatt. After about 2 days I'm able to speak pretty decent German again. But it usually takes a whole week before I become really comfortable speaking the language. On day 2 of my trip I had this conversation with my server at the Fuchs (Fox) restaurant in Zermatt. He had waited on me for both breakfast and dinner that day, and I wanted to know if I could add a tip to my bill. (Tips are normally automatically included in your bill in Europe.) Here's how it went:

My waiter, of course, could serve people in any number of languages, not only German and English but also French, Italian, and probably Spanish. This is because, as I said, Switzerland is a very multilingual nation. Catch the train from Geneva to Zermatt and you're exposed to pre-recorded comments in French, German, and English. All three tongues welcome you on board, tell you that refreshments are available in the bistro car, and wish you a very pleasant journey. Sometimes the announcements are so long-winded that you're almost at your destination by the time they're finished. By the way, the Swiss don't really speak German at all. They speak Swiss German and are mighty proud of it. Still, they can switch to German-German at the drop of a hat, as well as throw in a bunch of French words (did you notice the French in our conversation?). 

Like Spanish and French, German has two basic words for "you" -- Sie and du. Sie is very polite, but du is used between friends. In my conversation with my server, I used du even though I didn't know him from Adam. And it's perfectly acceptable. The younger generation of Swiss German speakers love to forget the "rules." Thus far I've never knowingly offended anyone by doing so. (Believe me, if the Swiss get offended, they will let you know.)

The Swiss are generally very polite and friendly. If outsiders find it hard to make friends, it's because the Swiss have a healthy distrust of foreigners. But as Becky and I discovered when we lived in Basel (or is it Bâl?), once you break through that barrier, a Swiss is a friend for life. 

It's not rare for Swiss people to say they speak only a little English. But that's usually an understatement. They're probably fluent. 

I enjoyed speaking German on this trip I think as much as I enjoyed anything! 

He Calms the Storm

Good morning one and all! I was up at 4:00 am this morning all bright eyed and bushy tailed. My body clock said it was already 10:00 am! How am I feeling? Sore and tired. I think they call it DOMS -- delayed onset muscle soreness. Everything in me aches. Which means that today is a day of rest -- which, for me, means active rest. I'll do a little walking but no running. My left knee is still a little iffy after getting it caught in a crack during the climb. Go figure. If anyone is going to be klutzy enough to get their knee caught in a crack while rock climbing, yep, it's me. All that aside, I'm still euphoric that the Lord allowed me to compete the climb. I was on the verge of quitting, and I am not a quitter. How many times are we of weak faith like that? How often, like the disciples out on the sea, do we keep trying to row our own boat in the storm on our own, forgetting what God can do? We wait until we're tossed about in the storm before reaching out and relying on God, trusting that he will save us. But God is always walking on the water all around us. In the perfect moment of our weakness, fear, and pain, he will speak to us. He is the only one who can calm the waves. Last Wednesday, he jumped into the boat and the storm died down. Or at least it became manageable. 

As I sit here at my desk suffering from jet lag and feeling the after-effects of one amazing climb, I realize again: I can't steer this crazy life of mine on my own. Lord, help me to remember that you steer my boat. Help me to look up and realize you're there. My Courage, you are with me with an outstretched hand! 

The Summit That Almost Didn't Happen (Zermatt 2025)

If I say "Switzerland," what's the first word that comes to mind? Chances are good you'd say:

Watches

Cheese

Banking

Skiing

Chocolate 

The Red Cross

Karl Barth

My answer would be: the mountains. In my mind, the Matterhorn is the real Swiss icon. It's probably the most well-known peak in the world. 

My first experience with the Matterhorn was in Southern California. We took the kids to Disneyland and -- lo and behold! -- there it was, right smack dab in the middle of Anaheim. Oddly enough, the real Matterhorn lies not in the middle of Switzerland but far away on the Swiss-Italian border. Which means to get there you have to go a long distance. From Zurich, it takes 3 trains. From Geneva, where I landed, it takes only 2. But people must think it's worth it. It's the view, no doubt.

Which reminds me. Switzerland can be divided into two halves, north and south. North is where all the people live and work (including "my fair city" of Basel). The south is where everyone goes on vacation. Again, it's the views. The mountains are the heart of the nation and the reason it became a distinct community in the first place. The Swiss have always lived in splendid isolation.

But not during tourist season. As I can attest personally this week, the hills are alive with the sound of hikers and climbers. A map of Zermatt and its envisions looks like the human circulatory system.

Americans have their freeways. The Swiss have their railways and cable cars. I am not the last person to drink in the view of the mountains made possible by that revolution in Swiss technology called the gondola. 

To be sure, the price of a ride is sky-high, but then again, so are you. To outsiders the Swiss transportation system is one of the seven wonders of the world. To the Swiss, it's merely a way to get from point A to point B. 

And then there are the Wanderwege -- walking paths. This network is almost as extensive as the national road and railway system. Moreover, the paths are just as well sign-posted, with little yellow indicators showing how long a walk you'll have to get to your destination. 

One of my kids asked me, "Are the times measured in walking, running, or what?" The answer is walking, but take note: The Swiss are really fit. Hiking is a Swiss national obsession. I can't tell you how many gaggles of eighty-somethings I saw on the trails this week. These marching masses have over 65,000 kilometers of Wanderwege to enjoy. Add to those the streets and roads, and you've got a runner's/walker's paradise. I enjoyed my share of them while getting in my daily steps in the shadow of the Matterhorn.

Some people travel to Switzerland to climb the alps. This week, I was one of them. My goal was to summit the Riffelhorn and, believe it or not, I succeeded. You might find it interesting that most Swiss mountains have crosses on their summits. 

This is a hangover from ye olden days. To many observers, modern day Switzerland could justifiable be called a post-Christian nation. Why, some argue, should our mountain peaks be used for religious purposes? The mountains belong to all, not just Christians, they say. Years ago a wealthy businessman hired a helicopter to fly a crescent moon to the top of a mountain in the Appenzell region of Switzerland, where it stood for a few days. He said he wanted to call attention to the absurdity of having the symbol of any religion on a mountain. As a Christian, I don't mind the presence of a cross at the summit. 

It's a reminder that nobody ever "conquers" a mountain. We are allowed to do so by the Divine Guide -- whether we acknowledge him or not. I would go further and say: the top of the mountain accounts for just one step in a few thousand steps up and down the mountain. Every part of the mountain, and every other step, is important. For me, climbing isn't about conquering anything except myself. It's about not letting your natural instincts (fear, worry, self doubt, panic) to override you. It's about seeing something beautiful in the mountains and reaching out to touch it -- and, if you're a Christian, to give God the glory for creating such majestic peaks. I give everything I have to the mountains and still they give me back more than I've ever given them. That's just how their Creator designed them to function.

To be honest, my climb was anything but easy. Even though I had a great guide.

There were 3 different vertical "steps" on the Riffelhorn that had to be negotiated, the first one having the consistency of recently polished marble. 

That is to say, the cliff face was extremely slippery. 

Halfway up the first step I got stuck. I froze. I couldn't move. For the life of me, I couldn't find a foothold for my next step. It was only by the Lord's help that I was able to stay calm and not panic. Eventually I regained enough composure to work through the situation. My guide was superb. "Take your time, Dave. You can find that next step. You'll figure it out. No worries." What makes mountaineering so attractive to me is the level of uncertainty and variation, as well as the sometimes very high stakes. 

It is truly a "complete" sport that requires endurance, strength, technique, and at the same time a large mental component -- both mental fortitude, a capacity for focus, and good decision-making skills under very challenging circumstances. The scale of the challenge makes the sport all the more rewarding and fascinating. You try to prepare as best as you can in every way, and that's why you feel such a great mixture of relief and satisfaction at the end of a successful climb. That's why I look back to each successful summit (and my unsuccessful ones too) with such fondness. I love the challenge of hitting new goals. This climb pitted me against incredible challenges and allowed me to draw on God's strength to fight through my own fears. But it's the spiritual connection to the mountains that means the most to me. I savor the struggle but I also experience the closeness of my Creator in a very unique and special way.

In the end, mountaineering is just like any other sport. You set goals for yourself. You reach them. You feel grateful beyond words. You get better over time. Each milestone is a personal achievement -- first marathon, first ultra, first triathlon, first ascent. It's a huge part of what makes your life so enjoyable. I came within a gnat's hair of telling my guide, "I'm done. I can't go on. We've got to go down." The fact is, even if we had done that, the experience would have still been extremely rewarding. Imagine setting for yourself a goal, something at once physically demanding and mentally challenging, one that pushes you to keep going and face down your fears. Then achieving it. There's simply a rush you get from standing thousands of feet above everyone else. You're applying yourself to a dangerous and arduous task that forces you to put aside the mediocrity of your everyday life and apply yourself 100 percent to a task you may not succeed in. The act of wrestling with your self-doubt builds inner strength and a greater awareness of your utter dependence on and need for God. 

I think modern man not only craves such powerful experiences but realizes there's a lack of them available in our modern "safe" and sanitized world. My Riffelhorn ascent was one such experience, accomplished by a (relatively) fit septuagenarian who'd barely set foot on a vertical route before. Mountaineering is one of the few places left where we are not in control. The mountain -- and, more importantly, the Lord -- calls the shots. It's up to us to survive and move around what the elements are doing.

For me, there's just something very special about that.