Why I Ran on the Treadmill Today

I was running on the treadmill today at the gym and the thought occurred to me: Why in the world am I running indoors rather than being outside and enjoying God's beautiful creation? 

And the answer to that question is a very simple one: This is today's weather. 

Suffice it to say we have sorely needed rain this summer. So this makes running on the treadmill bearable. On May 9 of this year I completed my fourth ultramarathon. It required a good number of steps. 

Today I was enabled by the Lord to get in about one third of those steps. 

I think I could have gotten in more steps had I been running outdoors. But God knows we needed today's rain more than I needed steps. 

Virginia has faced a historic drought in 2026. It has heavily impacted agriculture, including my farm. Severe to extreme drought continues to exist in several parts of the Commonwealth, including Southside (where we live and farm). The 2026 drought is the worst we've seen in decades. Hay crops have come in at roughly one third of their expected yield. Yet the good work of farming goes on. You just hope and pray for days like today. Farmers can plow, seed, and fertilize. But none of us can force the clouds to open. Unless the Lord causes your crops to grow, farmers labor in vain. 

God doesn't just spin the top and let it go. He is intimately involved in keeping the heavens and the earth going for his glory. It is all in vain without him. Glory be to God! 

Me and the Beach Boys

While growing up in the 1960s in Hawaii, I recall hearing the Beach Boys for the first time. I felt that their music about surfing was a Hollywood version of what surfing actually was. Neither I nor my surfing buddies really listened to the Beach Boys all that much. We used to joke that California had the girls and the music and the bleached blond hair and the surfing music. The one thing it lacked were the waves. That said, the Beach Boys were writing widely popular songs about surfing. Even the landlocked areas of the country lived vicariously through their music. And so surfing became a nationwide craze, especially among non-surfers. 

I clearly remember when I heard their hit "Catch a wave and you're sitting on top of the world" for the first time. It seemed to describe perfectly what we island boys were thinking and feeling about our sport. 

When I moved to California in 1971 to attend college at the age of 19, of course I took my board with me. By that time surfing music had all but crested. And I could never get really excited about the waves at Huntington Beach. Still, I came to love the music of the Beach Boys. The quality of their music was second to none. Only the Beatles wrote harmonies that could compete with those of Brian Wilson. When you think that he also sat in the producer's chair, that was a formidable achievement musically. 

Kids nowadays can't relate to how we grew up in the 60s. There were only three TV stations. There were no video games, no internet, but we had lots of great music on the AM radio. My mother thought I'd lose my hearing to rock music. What great music we listened to every day. Brian Wilson changed popular music for good. Surf music is such a happy and feel good style of rock. It's hard to dislike. I love the Beach Boys. I loved the 60s. I loved surfing every day. The "surf era" years were some of my happiest. I taught myself all of their songs on the piano and guitar. 

Your memories of the Beach Boys? 

1971. A freshman at Biola. 

Montage of Today's Workout

I Don't "Read" Audio Books

Why not? When you listen to an audio book, you are easily distracted with your eyes and hands, while reading with a book requires both your hands and eyes. Therefore, you are more focused and can retain more information. Reading is also easier to reread physically. Reading an audio book requires more motivation to rewind. I usually have two books going at any one time, both printed. Audiobooks are (almost) a total waste. 

We Love Idioms

Idioms in language I find most fascinating. Can I give you an example from German? 

You don't say "Ich mag Deutsch lernen" when you want to say "I like learning German." The German verb mögen is used with nouns. 

"Ich mag die Farbe Blau" = "I like the color blue."

But --

"Ich gehe gerne spazieren" = "I like going on walks." 

So, "I like learning German" is "Ich lerne gerne Deutsch." Or you could say, "Ich lerne sehr, sehr gerne Deutsch." Meaning, "I really, really like learning German." 

However you say it, I hope you're enjoying whatever language you are currently learning! 

(Übrigens, es gibt keinen Unterschied zwischen "gerne" und "gern." Du kannst beide Varianten benutzen.) 

You Know You're a Surfer When ...

You know you're a surfer when you look at an ad and all you can think about is the size of the waves in the picture. 

7 Things That Transformed My Fitness

I humbly offer them for your consideration:

1. Three full-body workouts a week. The results? I'm not just stronger in the gym. I'm stronger in life.

2. I've been lifting consistently for 5 years. Not perfectly, just consistently. That's the real secret of success -- time and patience.

3. We need more recovery time, not less, as we age. Three gym sessions a week gives my 74-year old muscles 48 hours between workouts. This leaves me with more energy to push hard in each session.

4. I stopped chasing soreness. Being sore doesn't mean you had a great workout. Progressive overload does.

5. A bedroom conducive to sleep. Make sure your sleeping environment is as comfortable, cool, dark, and quiet as possible. 

6. Routine. Stop chasing new fads or programs. Give sensible habits time to become ingrained habits. The problem is, we start our new athletic lives with almost as much frequency as Mark Twain gave up smoking (thousands of times) and with about the same success. 

7. Exercise covers a multitude of dietary sins. Nutrition is a very controversial subject, but few will deny that we get unhealthier eating rather than fasting, or that our intake of refined sugar is unnatural. Having earned our daily bread, we can turn it into daily health. The athlete doesn't stop eating junk food and start training. He starts training and finds that he has stopped eating junk food. He starts lifting and finds he is eating the right things in the right proportions.

So there you have it -- 7 things I've done to get relatively fit. Great tasks depend on small things. Our health, then, depends on the day-to-day choices we make about the supposed "minor" details of life. The athlete knows this more than many. You don't need to do everything. Find the practical thing you can repeat. The mental differences? I'm not exhausted. I'm not stressed. I'm not white-knuckling my way through an exercise program I hate. The physical differences? More muscle definition. Better body composition. And, by the sheer grace of God, I'm in the best shape of my life.

My Current Writing Project

Every professor has their WIP, though I'm not sure if this stands for work-in-progress or work-in-perpetuity. In fact, I thought of calling this blog post "The Monster in My Desktop" or even "My Current Bout of Literary Masochism." 

Some of you know that I am currently writing a book for lay people on how to read and enjoy their New Testament. You may think that the process of writing comes easily for me. Hardly. Nothing creative is done by committee. It's just you and your keyboard. 

Writing is a mystery. But when the urge to write strikes, you cannot escape it. Someone has said that writing is turning blood into ink. All it asks is the time to do it. 

The day is coming, probably sooner rather than later, when I will write my last piece. Am I ready to have my heart weighed at the Bema Seat of Christ? Have I pleased the God I love? Is this as far as I should have gone? Only the One who made me knows. 

John Wooden was the coach of the UCLA Bruins. 

In a book called They Call Me Coach, he gives this three-statement piece of advice:

Talent is God-given. Be humble.

Fame is man-given. Be thankful.

Conceit is self-given. Be careful.

That's why we must walk so sensitively with our God. He not only has a plan for our lives that includes length, it includes depth. May he grant us daily a cooperative spirit to work within his power to do his will until he calls us home. 

My Bengals Win and Go 2-0

I'm so hyped! Great way to start my week. That Chase catch was ridiculous. Cincy is cooking! 

The Joy of Espousing Minority Views

Standing against the consensus in your field can be professionally isolating. However, it can also be intellectually exhilarating. In my books such as Why Four Gospels? and The Authorship of Hebrews: The Case of Paul I championed minority views that were, paradoxically, majority views for most of church history. 

I would never have written these books had I not shifted from a passive consumer of established dogma to an active challenger of it. Interestingly, along the way I discovered a small network of like-minded dissenters. 

If the road feels lonely, you're probably heading somewhere worth going. 

You Know You're a Runner When ...

You know you're a runner when your vacation planning turns into, "Okay, but where can I run?" 

Below: Getting in a run at Waikiki a month and a half ago. 

What Is a "Church"?

A New Testament church isn't a building. It's a community. It's rooted in relationships. I so wish that ekklēsia had never been rendered as "church" by English Bible translators! 

Pipeline Taught Me a Lesson about Faith

As you know, I grew up on a surfboard. 

I once wiped out on a big day at Pipeline. This was long before boards had leashes. I didn't know if my board had washed ashore or had gone out to sea with the riptide. I swam around for about 15 minutes before I became exhausted. Thankfully I wasn't too proud to ask another surfer if I could hold onto his board for a minute to catch my breath. Faith in Christ is the board you hang onto when you've wiped out in life. It's the raft you find floating near you when you're about to drown. Jesus says whoever comes to me I will in no way cast out. He promised I will never you nor forsake you. Put your faith in the faithful one when you lose your board. 

Today's Training Run at the High Bridge Trail

Training for a race? You have to do three things: take whatever God-given talent you have, train as well as you can, and then go out and see what happens. On this very trail in Farmville there's a 50K ultra waiting to be run on Dec. 6. 

If you're training for it, you've got to ask yourself, Can I commit the time to training? If not, it's better to pick a race that fits your schedule. I'd rather be successful at training for a race I can do than having to quit training because I wasn't realistic about my time resources. Part of the magic of a race is that it doesn't care who you are: rich, poor, teacher, student, etc. It rewards one thing: giving it your all.

This morning's sermon at church was a marvelous exposition of Psalm 19, which contains a declaration that the sun "rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race" (Psa. 19:5, NLT). In training, there's a sweet spot between boredom and exhaustion. Find it, and you will thrive as a runner. 

Finishing Touches

We just finished baling a 20-acre field. I'm tired, hungry, and very happy. 

There's nothing that feels as good as putting the finishing touches on some project you're working on. 

We're now expecting a few days of much needed rain, then it will be back to work. Earlier today I also added a few finishing touches to my arm and back workouts at the gym. 

I think I've pretty much maxed-out my genetic potential for building new muscle, so my current goal is to try and maintain as much muscle as I can before attempting the Mettelhorn in the alps next July. Last year, as you know, I barely summited the Riffelhorn. I simply reached the point where my own strength wasn't enough. It was impossible to go on. That's when I learned (again) what faith is all about. Faith in God doesn't make you invincible. It just means that you don't face your mountains alone. Christ is my strength when I have nothing else to rely on. And even when I am strong in myself, I still need faith to trust that what I'm doing is pleasing to him. 

This is the mission we're called on as believers. 

A Lesson from Human Sports

I've never been able to understand why some students never seem to take their Greek studies seriously. They easily lose interest. They seem jaded and bored, cynical even. Chesterton once said, "There's no such thing as an uninteresting subject. The only thing that can exist is an uninterested person." If you don't enjoy studying theology or the biblical languages or church history or pastoral counseling, it's your fault, not the subject's. 

Of course, people are naturally drawn to some subjects more than others. I could never quite get into my philosophy classes in college, but I recognize that as a deficiency in myself and not the courses. If you're not interested in the NFL (I am really into this sport), it's your problem, not the game's. Philosopher George Santayana once wrote, "Watching a football game the whole soul is stirred by a spectacle that represents the basis of life."

This is one reason why sports is so important to me. It was to the apostle Paul, too. Only he among the authors of the New Testament used sports analogies in his writings. To what other vocation (save farming) do men bring such effort and dedication? It doesn't matter whether you are good at sports or not. (I'm not.) Paul may not have ever actually run a race in the stadium, but he seems to have had nothing but the greatest regard for those marvelously gifted and courageous people called athletes. 

Like Christianity, sports doesn't care whether you're black or white or Republican or Democrat or a Northern Yankee or a Southern Hillbilly. Sports goes to the essence of living. It reveals how trivial most of our lives are. 

"Whatever you do, do it with all your might" is a biblical principle. Perhaps some of what we see in the world of sports -- courage, passion, dedication, sacrifice -- can rub off on our educational pursuits. 52 years ago I took Greek for the first time. Suddenly when I read the New Testament everything was vital and fresh and new. I've never gotten over it. Now at 74, I can see Paul the theologian just as much as I can see Paul the football player or Paul the marathoner. The whole world is sacred. Every human vocation is capable of greatness.

What better place, then, to observe mankind excelling in human performance than in the Greek classroom? My beginning Greek grammar has 26 chapters, each of which, I tell my students, is one mile in the marathon we call baby Greek. I tell them that nothing can prevent them from mastering the subject as long as they preserve in their hearts a passion for growth.

Just another lesson drawn from human sports. 

The Greek Nerd Test: How Many Boxes Can You Tick?

Talked about Greek to someone who didn't ask.

Had to have your Greek New Testament rebound at least once.

Asked your Greek teacher a question you regretted.

Bought beginning grammars you didn't need.

Compared the Byzantine Text to the Critical Text.

Cringed when your pastor etymologized from the pulpit.

Brought your Greek New Testament with you to your fellowship group.

Asked yourself, "Why have I never seen this before in the Greek? It's amazing."

Attended a conference on Greek linguistics.

Spelled your name in Greek letters on a quiz.

Considered getting a tattoo in Greek.

Joined Nerdy Biblical Language Majors.

Left your Greek New Testament at home when you went on vacation because you were afraid it might get lost or stolen.

Bemoaned the lame text-critical notes in your English Bible.

Taught the Greek Alphabet Song to your children.

Scratched your head when you first heard the words "verbal aspect."

Kicked yourself for getting "only" a 109 on one of Dr. Black's exams and thus missed getting a free book by a single point.

This Is Why I Love Latin

Speakers up.

Grateful!!!!

All praise and glory to God! A great workout at the Y.

A fantastic 7-mile run at the HBT.

Getting up hay in one of our largest fields.

Grateful!!! 

It's Never Too Late to Take Control of Your Life Again

So you've been trying to lose weight and get in shape for 2 years. That's 104 weeks. However, those 2 years didn't fix your problem. That shouldn't come as a surprise. Anyone telling you 8 weeks is enough is lying. Anyone telling you 8 months is enough is lying. I know how hard it is to go from fat to fairly lean. I started off at 240 pounds. I've gone down to 185. I know exactly what you're struggling with. Getting in great shape isn't a sprint. It's consistency, month after month and year after year. That means:

• Workouts you actually enjoy, not workouts you dread.
• A way of eating that isn't poisoning you.
• Progress you can sustain, not just survive.
• Strength training at least 2 times per week.
• Treating sleep and recovery like training. 
• Regular walking.

Some men over 40 think that getting into shape isn't sustainable. The problem is they're doing things they can't stick to. What I do is simple on purpose. I train a few hours every week. I eat mostly real food. I walk every day. I keep my habits simple. And that's what makes everything sustainable. No complicated meal plans. No cutting entire food groups. No neglecting the things in life that really matter to you -- your family, your God-given purpose on this earth, your mind, your body, your health, your peace. This comes from self-control. Self-discipline. Simplicity. Living with intention. 

I'm not trying to look like a bodybuilder. I'm not trying to be 30 again. I'm just a normal guy who got tired of feeling soft and uncomfortable in my own skin. I'm a man who decided he still cares about his health. So I kept showing up. Now, at 74, I'm in the best shape of my life. 

It's not too late for you to do the same, my friend. It's not about becoming obsessed with fitness. It's not about starving yourself. It's about moving again. It's about building up your strength. It's about losing a bit of that extra weight. It's about getting your energy back. It's about feeling confident in the body God gave you. I'm able to chase my grandkids around the yard and actually keep up with them. That's the whole point. You see, as you get older, fitness isn't so much about how you look but about how you feel and how well you move. At my age, staying fit isn't something you can put off any longer. The stakes are just too high. 

How about you? 

If today feels like a reset moment, don't put it off. Make this the last year you just talk about getting into shape. Just think about how a little more God-given self-respect and self-discipline could change everything. The work isn't always easy. But for me it's been worth it. The point of this post is a simple reminder that it's never too late to take control of your life again. Fight for yourself. 

A Matter of Urgency

Good intentions will not get you very far in personal Bible study. It takes a willful commitment on your part. You have to go through the steps of observation, interpretation, and application. I want to challenge you to see at least one new thing in every passage you read. The ability to see details in Scripture is one of the most powerful skills you can develop. One of the things I observed in Hebrews 13 this morning in my quiet time was an instance of paronomasia in verse 22. 

I had never seen it before. Here Paul opens and closes his sentence with two Greek words that clearly parallel each other. 

Yet this connection is completely lost in your typical English translation. Here are a couple of examples with the parallel terms printed in bold:

NIV: "I urge you ... my word of exhortation."

CSB: "I urge you ... this message of exhortation."

ESV: "I appeal to you ... my word of exhortation." 

Sherlock Holmes, that master sleuth of yesteryear, could often be found on his hands and knees, inspecting the floor for cigar ashes or footprints. In the same way, finding clues in a passage of Scripture demands more than a quick overview. Here in Heb. 13:22 we clearly have a pun or wordplay that many if not most interpreters overlook. But not in German. Here's how Luther rendered the verse:

"Ich ermahne euch, aber, liebe Brüder, haltet das Wort der Ermahnung zugute." 

I absolutely love that. Paul is "urging" his readers with a "word of urging"! I thought, You've got to be kidding! As I said, I'd never seen this before. The genius of the word of God is that it has wordplays like this one on practically every page. With every book I've written, you can pretty much put it on the shelf and move on to something else. That's never true of the Bible. You can read it over and over again and you will still discover things you've never seen before.

So we're back to the same issue: the books of the Bible were meant to be read and studied. They were never intended to be given a perfunctory once-over. One way to avoid that is to slow down and, if you can, use a variety of translations. You're bound to notice new things! 

The Whole Game

Getting in my steps today. 

Exercise keeps you independent, sharp, and active for decades to come. 

Train now for the 70-year old (or, in my case, the 80-year old) version of you. 

That's the whole game. Running and surfing in my 80s is the goal! 

How to Build Muscle over Age 70

(All videos from today's workout.) 

When it comes to building muscle over age 70, I certainly know it's possible, but there are certain ways to train that will help us to maximize the time we spend in the gym. 

First, there needs to be at least 2, preferably 3, days spent in the gym that are dedicated to working out. 

This can come in the form of total body workouts dedicated to both strength and hypertrophy (muscle building). 

As I have often said, we lose strength and muscle mass with every passing decade of our lives, so in order to preserve the muscle we have and the strength we need to complete everyday tasks, we need to work on strength training. 

The way to build muscle during your workouts is to slow down and really command control over your reps. 

Be sure to train the full range of motion in order to maintain strength and integrity in your muscles, tendons, and joints. 

Partial reps rarely build muscle and strength. When you have completed your workout, be sure to get in your daily step count (whatever that is). 

If your goal is to build muscle, burn fat, and get lean, walking can be a powerful addition to your routine because it is low impact, easy to recover from, and easy to do consistently. The key is to walk with purpose. Stand tall, pick up the pace, and make every step count. 

Movement is proof that you're alive. Every lift and every step is a confirmation of your place on the planet, of your ability to move through time and space. Because of my workouts, I'm a little bit more alive each day. What was once a slow, steady march toward old age has become a race to cover all the miles that my life (and the Lord) will allow. These moments of activity will be yours to keep and to share with others. These moments, more than how heavy you lift or how fast you run, will distinguish you as an athlete. The joy you feel will be like the joy children feel when they run across a field of wildflowers or through a lawn sprinkler on a hot summer day. Eventually you'll forget that your muscles and your heart are getting stronger. You will do it simply for the pure joy it brings.

I Am Not a Greek Teacher

I don't teach Greek. Never have. I teach logic. I teach thinking. I teach language skills. I teach the importance of each and every detail in the text. I teach Christology. I teach Pneumatology. I teach Ecclesiology. I teach Historical Theology. I teach Practical Theology. Mostly I teach Global Missions.

Teachers impart far more than subject matter. They impart thinking skills, social skills, emotional intelligence, and overall spiritual development. Their role extends far beyond just delivering content. They shape students' character and prepare them for real-world challenges. The impact of a teacher extends far beyond academic instruction. Being a teacher is a multifaceted role that requires a combination of skills, aptitudes, experience, and empathy. Only by embracing all of these aspects of  teaching can we create an environment in which all students have the opportunity to succeed. 

Teacher friend, you are doing so much more than you realize. This week inspire your students by your example. If it wasn't for Harry Sturz and Bo Reicke, I wouldn't have realized that I actually had potential to become a Greek teacher. God used them to steer me in the right direction. Do the same for your students! 

11 Weeks

Guess what? Only 11 weeks before my next ultra. So it's time to train! Got in some steps this morning at the good old Y. 

I plan on getting in some more when I'm in Wake Forest later today. 

This is moi as of today. 

It's the best I can do. You have to take whatever talents and gifts you have, train as well as you can, and then go out and see what happens on race day. That's true whether you run at the back of the pack like I do or out in front. The ultra is one of the top experiences of my life, ranking right up there with my wedding day and the birth of my kids. I savor every step of the 32-mile race, amazed at how far I've come as a runner since Becky died. Racing is a giant unknown. But getting to the starting line is something you can control. 11 weeks. That's all I've got. And no one can run a single step for you. It's all up to you. 

One of the biggest mistakes runners make is overestimating their level of readiness. I've made that mistake all too often. So when you decide to train, make sure your training plan is the best plan for you. No one knows you better than you know yourself. And remember: Goals can never be too high, but expectations can. 

One Month Ago

My last evening in Waikiki. The perfect end to a perfect vacation. Silhouetted against the golden hour. Ready for one last ride. 

Bengals Win!

The road to the Super Bowl began today with a win by my favorite team, the Cincinnati Bengals. Tampa Bay came to Cincy with a freshly paid Baker Mayfield, but he was no match for the Bengals' defense. 

The Burrow era continues. TB is a great team, so it's a good win for Cincy. Still a work in progress (Burrows' horrible pick-six made the game a nail-biter), but like every great QB he delivered on the final drive. The real test will come next week in Houston. 

By the way, in case you're wondering why I'm such a Bengals fan ....

People choose their favorite NFL team for any number of reasons, from rooting for the local team to thinking their logo looks cool to choosing a lifelong rival to annoy their friends. Some people love the Bucs simply because they fire the cannons. I'm a Cincy fan because I ran my first ever marathon in that town and then, because I enjoyed it so much, went back and ran two more. 

At the start of the Flying Pig lined up next to the Paycor stadium where the Bengals play. 

The Cincinnati marathon is called the Flying Pig. It combines a unique pig theme with scenic river views and incredible community support. 

Cincinnatians are proud of their race and enjoy sharing it with the world. Skip Disney and do the Pig, folks!

Don't Just Push Your Students; Pull Them Forward Too

This Monday night during Greek class we'll do a word study of the first declension noun ekklēsia. Every time we meet I try to illustrate how God's word provides his people with divine insight as they contend with the challenges of living in a complicated world. That's the legacy I want to leave behind: a generation of Bible students armed with the ability to correctly handle the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15). My concern is that in the rush to adopt new technologies, the current generation of students may lose their ability to read. 

Fellow Greek teacher, let's pull people in rather than just pushing them. Inspire confidence through trust rather than authority. Always emphasize the "Why?" Expose the bigger picture so your students can understand the purpose, not just the task. Show them how mastering Greek helps them succeed at things they already care about, such as how they define a New Testament "church." You can't force a rope forward from behind. It only moves when you lead it from the front and pull it. 

Let's all remember that as we enter the classroom this week. 

It's Okay to Be Last

Three years ago I came in dead last at a half marathon and was still on cloud nine. It felt marvelous just to be able to finish on a really hot day. 

Friend, whatever the endeavor, there will always be people who are better at it than you. You can only do your personal best and hope for improvement along the way. We can get so wound up in our goals that we get tunnel vision. There is more to life than time goals. In fact, there is a lot of life to live beyond race day. It's okay to be last. Not every race will be your best or your strongest. Not being able to keep up makes you humble. 

There is WAY more to life than numbers! 

Your Know You're a Runner When ...

You know you're a runner when you're too tired to clean the house but have plenty of energy for a run. 

A Memory Not Soon Forgotten

Some summers never really leave us. They just beg to be remembered. 

She looks like she was made for Hawaii. Just sunshine on her face, the waves before her, the palms behind. The ocean was pleasant, the breeze smelled of plumeria, and nobody was thinking about tomorrow. Years later, photographs like this can make you wonder where those days went. 

Do you remember a summer that felt this special? Where were you when life seemed a little slower? 

Two Simple Hacks for Getting into Shape

If anyone asks me, "How do I get started exercising?", I always tell them the same two things: First, go to the gym and strength train, as I did today. 

Start out 2 days a week. Then go 3 days a week. Eventually you're going to get super excited about going to the gym. 

So just start. Challenge yourself every time you go to the gym. I don't care if you're lifting 5 pounds or 50 pounds. 

Challenge yourself to stress the muscles God has given you. That environment is SO GOOD for you. Just challenge yourself with weights. 

The next thing? Walk (or run) as often as you can. 

You can walk outside. You can walk on a treadmill. But get in your daily steps. Here are mine from today. 

Just find time to move. You can eat more freely when you move more and have more muscle. So do some walking. Walking is medicine. So said Hypocrites 2,500 years ago. 

That's it. Do these two things and eventually your weight and waist will start trending down. 

An Amazing Day

Today I had an amazing day filled with exercise, work, and family. Got in my steps.

Got up about 15 acres of hay.

We worked surrounded by thunderstorms. 

But the Lord kept us dry.

Mexican food was next. Nothing like fajitas texanas after a day of working in the fields. 

To cap things off, we went to Food Lion for ice cream and popsicles. 

I do believe Reuben liked that idea. 

Thank you, Lord, for a wonderful day! My heart is full to overflowing! I love you! 

Marriage and the Providence of God

Half a century ago today I married Becky Lynn Lapsley in a delightful ceremony at her home church in Dallas, Texas. The next day we were on our way to Hawaii. For 37 years we lived an adventure that could only have been crafted in heaven. Our marriage was beautifully flawed and deeply fulfilling. It was impossible to imagine that a quiet illness would steal Becky away before 40 years had even passed. 

If you've ever lost the one you were married to, you know that grieving is a disorderly process. You wish you could control or even schedule it, but you can't. Grief is not a highway but an orbit. You keep passing the same heavy star. The days go too fast -- or too slow. The future is hard to envision. You find yourself easily distracted or even disoriented. 

When I lost my bride to cancer 13 years ago, I learned that not only was God offering me the gift of grieving, but he was also granting me an opportunity to claim one of the greatest treasures a believer can possess -- the doctrine of the providence of God. The Christian cannot live a day without it. And when you keep it at the forefront of your mind, it makes a difference every moment for the rest of your life. 

Theologians tell us what God's providence is. It is his timely provision for all of our needs. It is his purposeful intervention in our lives. It is his love and watchcare over every minute we are alive. It is the carrying out of a plan that is never frustrated, a purpose that will never go unfulfilled. No matter what happens to us, God's plan is unfolding precisely as he has arranged it in flawless precision. 

When sufferers embrace the providence of God, they come to realize that there is a plan that is above and beyond what happened to them. God knows it all and always has. Nothing is a surprise to him. He has a bigger and better plan than we are able to grasp at the moment. He knows exactly what he's doing. This means that life is not chance. It's not blind fate. Life is his project, not ours. We are the instruments, not the composer. And so every experience you and I will ever have, God can sovereignly use for our good. He directs. He allows. He permits. He releases. How invaluable is that truth? Don't argue with it. Don't fight it. Accept it. Take it seriously. 

Will the grief ever go away? Yes, but not before instructing us. I love the words of Nancy Guthrie in her book Holding on to Hope:

"And so it is in our sadness that we discover a new aspect of God's character and reach a new understanding of Him that we could not have known without loss. He is acquainted with grief. He understands. He's not trying to rush us through our sadness. He's sad with us."

God does not want me to forget my past with Becky. He doesn't want me to forget all the good times we enjoyed together. He does not ask me to forget the 37 delightful, at times difficult, years of marriage. At the same time, the believer can experience a new life while constructing memories for himself of his past life with his loved one. 

Today the emotional energy I once invested in Becky is being poured into my children and grandchildren. As I have done this, the pain has subsided. I know that the ache in my heart will never go away completely. Some scars do not heal; they learn to hum a quiet hymn. But because of the providence of God, hope has replaced despair. There are more smiles than there are frowns. Every day I am finding something new to be thankful for. And because both she and I are believers in Jesus Christ, I look forward to being reunited again someday. 

Below: Pictures of Becky. She was breathtakingly beautiful inside and out. 

Happy 50th Anniversary to the love of my life. Only the Lord could have given me a wife as wonderful as you. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I love you. 

Another "False Fall"!

The early color change and premature leaf drop we are seeing in Southside are a direct result of the severe heat and drought stress we had this summer. To conserve water and energy, trees start shutting down their systems earlier than normal. Today I had very nice walk on the HBT. Look at how colorful everything is! 

This is called a "false fall." Even though the days are still warm and long, the trees are duped into thinking they have to pull back on their chlorophyll prematurely. We'll probably have an early though spectacular foliage display this year. 

The drought this year has been much more severe than the one we had last year. Where we live there's still a massive 8-inch deficit. I always feel bad for the trees when I see them leaf-ing from stress! 

Nevertheless, we are out there baling a big field today. We are so blessed and thankful! 

A Farm Boy and His Rabbit

Jest chillin, Pap B. 

The Most Critical Decade of Your Life

Welcome to the most critical decade of your life. "What decade is that?" you ask. It's the one you're in. You may be 25 or 45 or 65. It doesn't matter. If you play the next 10 years smart, you can remake your body into a fitter, stronger, and sleeker version of your younger self. The next 10 years can be the healthiest and most satisfying of your life. 

I've faced down 74 candles on my birthday cake. I'm old. To my students, very old. But age is not only chronological. It's physiological. The problems associated with age typically have less to do with actual aging than with our sedentary lifestyles. 

It's never too late to take care of the temple. There's no reason you can't be fitter than you were 5 years ago if you make smart tweaks to your fitness and diet. You'll be set for years of feeling and looking great. Once you experience the improvements that regular exercise and eating right bring to your body, you'll find plenty of motivation to keep at it for the rest of your life. 

You have control over your weight. I'll say it again: You have control over your weight. With God's help, you can press the reset button, take in fewer calories, and boost your metabolic burn through regular activity. 

It's just that simple. Above all, pair a healthy diet with resistance training. Resistance training is the fountain of youth. 

The beauty of a gym workout is that it's versatile enough for almost anyone at any fitness level. Find a workout plan that fits your goals and time constraints and I guarantee you'll start losing weight and feeling a whole lot better.

Start today.