Adam Monaghan

Christmas in NY

2011-12-27T09:24:00.001-06:00

Crossroads Youth Group Christmas Costume Party 2011

2011-12-16T17:06:00.001-06:00

Christmas Run

2011-12-13T12:28:00.000-06:00

Gabe Hancock and I went for a Christmas run this morning dressed as the Grinch and Santa. It was rainy and cool and we had a lot of fun running in costume (first time I've ever done anything like that) for 11 miles. I smiled too much to be a good Grinch, though.

The Great Awakening, Leeland

2011-12-12T20:52:00.002-06:00

One man wakes, awakens another
Second one wakes his next door brother
Three awake can rouse a town
And turn the whole place upside down
Many awake will cause such a fuss
It finally awakes all of us
One man wakes with dawn in his eyes
Surely then it multiplies
Surely then it multiplies

Little Baby Girl

2011-12-06T21:10:00.002-06:00

Sarah's Blogging

2011-12-06T21:02:00.000-06:00

Sarah is blogging at www.cityhouseontheprairie.blogspot.com!

Sacrilege: Finding Life In The Unorthodox Ways Of Jesus

2011-11-15T15:44:00.000-06:00

Sacrilege: Finding Life In The Unorthodox Ways Of Jesus
By Hugh Halter

I just finished Sacrilege by Hugh Halter. I definitely loved the book, just as I have loved everything I have read by him so far. Halter tries to answer the question "what does it really mean to be like Jesus?" He addresses the gospels and the "ways of Jesus" by taking a fresh look at the beatitudes. He words are provocative, challenging, helpful, and formative for the church to be what God intends. This book does not address models of church ministry like his other books. Actually I don't think it hardly ever uses the words "missional" or "incarnational". And while some of the things he proposes are a "new way of thinking", he makes a good case for the possibility that they are really an "old way of thinking". A few of my favorite quotes:

...followership, instead of true discipleship, has been the norm, and thus we Christians have produced a lot more people that are like us than people who are like Jesus. p44

Wrought with legalism, the Pharisees could have made the elder board in most US churches. Great behavior, few scandals...what more would any good pastor want? Ironic, isn't it, that it was these very well-behaved religious men who ended up being a hurdle rather than a bridge to bringing others into a real relationship with God? p48

You know what? God and this thing called faith are so beyond my grasp that I am empty of the ability to know absolute truth. I know absolute truth exists. But I also know that I am a human of very small brain compared to God, and I have no problem admitting that I may be wrong about many things and you may be right. Only God Himself knows it all. p67

Our perceived ideas or interpretations of "truth" have started religious wars. "Truth" has construed private piety to be more important than taking care of orphans and widows. "Truth" has taught us to blindly support whatever Israel wants. "Truth" has casually brushed aside any thought of actually loving Muslims as a path to peace and change. In other words, under the banner of "truth" many have missed the truth that Jesus preached. In many cases, simple faith and humble learning have been replaced by a mountain-sized pile of ill-begotten ideas that encourage Christians to feel like they have arrived. p70

Absolute truth is absolute. God is truth and his Word is truth...There is however, one glaring problem with absolute truth, and that is that we, being humans, have a tendency to be...well, human. And that means that we are biased, short-sighted, and very often wrong. p73

What do you think about letting God help you become a place of belonging for others instead of you just looking for another place to belong? p91

This isn't about a duty to be performed; it is about a relationship to be explored. p108

...Fervency in a slightly immature direction is better than apathy in the right direction. p113

Silence

2011-11-07T14:50:00.000-06:00

We evangelicals are hardly known for our silence. Our branding implies proclaiming, declaring, even persuading. But it opens up the possiblity that we can very easily be a rather noisy people even when we don't have much to say. Words without substance and authenticity equal irrelevance. -Gordon MacDonald

Regardless of the Results of the Gift

2011-11-05T11:10:00.002-05:00

A great post on living the life of missional obedience at YLCF this week. Check it out.

Run for Missions 2011 Report

2011-11-04T18:29:00.001-05:00

Run for Missions 2011

5K, 10K, Half-Marathon

Over one-hundred and fifty runners participated in all of the Run for Missions race day events this year! This was the first year for the half-marathon and it was a great success. There were over fifty entries in this new event and for a race in Haviland, K

S, this number of entries surprised just about everyone. And even better, they came from all over the state and many of them enjoyed their first visit to Haviland and first glimpse of Barclay College. The 5K/10K

events were a lot of fun as well in their second year with lots of people who came last year and also plenty of new faces. Complete race results have been published at www.runformissions.org.

It was about 32 degrees or so at the 8 am start of the half-marathon wi

th a brisk wind out of the south. Many runners mentioned being cold when they ran south back towards town. Only a few commented saying they didn’t like running on the soft sand. Most of the rest loved being off the concrete and enjoyed the beauty of the country. The half-marathon followed the same route for the first 5K, crossed near the finish line and then set out to complete the second 5K loop with an added 6.9 mile out and back section to make for 13.1 miles. The half-marathon was generously sponsored by the GoRun Wichita stores and the top three males and females were awarded gift certificates towards running shoes.

By 9 am, as the 5K and 10K races started, the sun was out and it was

starting to warm up. As the 5K finishers crossed the finish line they were entertained with live music from Abby Hutson from Wichita and the kids had the option of playing on a giant inflatable. Nearly two dozen volunteers who manned the aid stations, directed traffic, and pointed the runners in the right direction were key components to this successful event. Another special feature this year was the visit of two really cool llamas who swept the 5K course.

Next year we will have the same three events on Saturday morning, October 27^th, 2012. The same basic course will be utilized but a few modifications to the event will be employed to make it better, safer, more fun and a better experience all around. Race directors are always eager to hear feedback from runners, volunteers, spectators, nay-sayers and fans alike to improve the event for next time. Please don’t hesitate to submit and ideas, suggestions or critiques to adam@efcmaym.org.

100-Mile Fundraiser Run

Well…100 miles is a long ways…it’s kinda hard to run that far really…sometimes you throw up…sometimes you just want to sleep…sometimes you even want to quit…sometimes you wonder why you ever committed to doing this!...and the rest of the time you are just so grateful to be alive and have such great friends and an incredible support team to be able to make it happen. I finished Sunday afternoon just before 1:00pm in a total time of 25 hours, 25 minutes and 6 seconds for the 4^th annual Run for Missions. It wasn’t necessarily pretty or as ‘fun’ as other 100 mile run experiences in the past but I finished without injury or anything going wrong really. Well…kinda. Read on.

I honestly can’t remember all the details as the whole weekend is kind of a blur, but I will try to unpack a bit of what I do remember and how it felt. But first I must start with sincere words of deep gratitude to everyone who makes the Run for Missions possible. There wouldn’t be a run if there weren’t donors! To date, nearly $14,000 has been given and/or pledged this year. This makes a total of nearly $64,000 for the past four years of the Run. The Run for Missions also wouldn’t happen if it weren’t for a bunch of crazy runners (and some walkers too) who come from literally all over to run the 5K, 10K, and Half-Marathon. A portion of each of their entry fees goes toward the scholarship fund. The 100 mile fundraiser run wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for the pacers (dozens of them each year) who give up so much time and energy to serve as companions and “sanity inspectors” to keep me moving. The last but not least thank you goes out to the support crew who drive all night long and serve generously and put up with whining and some sleeping and sections of me going really slow and all of the just plain craziness of the whole thing.

Thursday, Sarah and I traveled to Haviland and first thing Friday morning we began setting everything up for registration in the gym. By Friday evening we were ready for registration and it was time to set up and mark the course with flags and white flour and set up the finish line area. After a fitful night of tossing and turning and only sleeping for three hours on Friday night, Saturday morning started at 5:30 for Jesse and I as we went out to drop cones and the pumpkin mile markers and the aid stations. We should have started at 4:00 am! We know better for next year! We were very late to our 7:15 meeting with the volunteers who were ready to go. But everyone was briefed and placed just in time for the 8 am start. Sarah and I had responsibilities at the finish line and Jesse was pretty much in charge of the other 13 miles of the course! By the time it was all over and the last runners were crossing the finish line I was already tired! A hiccup in the timing software caused some data to be temporarily lost and the awards ceremony to be delayed. But it started a little after 11 and was over before 11:30. Then it was my turn to run! I changed my clothes and set out to run knowing that I could be self-sufficient for about an hour until my crew caught up to me as they had to finish tearing everything down and cleaning up.

I left the start line at 11:38 am with Tim Marshall (the winner of the half-marathon, by the way) who would run with me for the first 50 miles! In the first mile I realized I was really hungry and hadn’t thought to eat lunch. It has been over 5 hours since a meager breakfast. So I ate a couple hammer gels until I felt balanced. Kind of a weird way to start. The whole first two miles my hamstring was really hurting. This had me worried to say the least. It had been bothering me for a couple weeks for some reason (probably due to over training and running too many miles) and I was worried it would really hurt me on this long run and either cause me to quit or get really injured if I finished all the way. Anyway I popped three ibuprophen at mile 2 which is also another first to take them that early. But after about 10-15 miles I didn’t really notice it anymore and I rarely mentioned my hamstring bothering me the rest of the way to the finish line.

At about mile three my friend Terry Rider joined me as a pacer. He ran aid-station #2 where the porta-potty was so he was busy tearing down and getting ready and wasn’t quite ready to take off with me from the start. Terry ended up logging 30 miles with me and was a great encouragement and inspiration and it adds comfort to know you have other experienced ultrarunners out there.

I came into Pratt before 3 pm and ran up 281 to the street where Pratt Friends Church was out. We stopped there for a couple minutes to regroup and I set off for another mile or so of pavement before heading back into the country. At this point we had three vehicles and three runners as Sarah was in her car with all the crewing supplies, Jesse had the church van with the porta-potty attached and Sherri was crewing for Terry. Just before dark Terry and Sherri went home.

The first 50 miles really were uneventful. I started knowing I would need some additional caffeine around 9pm as I requested a lot of Mt. Dew. It helped for a while. Somewhere around mile 40, if my memory serves correctly, I was joined by Gabe Hancock, Mike Neifert and Marc Compton as pacers. Tim quit after 50 miles which made his total 67 for the day. Tim ate a foot-long Subway sandwich while running during the last hour. I thought that was nuts!

I ran the first 50 miles in 10 hours and 20 minutes. Around midnight, my friend and weekly training partner, Andy Bowman showed up and started running with us at the 52 mile mark. This was the half-way mark and Andy would put in the last 52 with me and run a new distance record for him. Sometime after midnight I began to “lose it”. A few days later Gabe commented to me that I sure didn’t seem like myself. I agree with his observation completely. Somehow the pressure and the mental tiredness just caught up to me and I was losing the will to continue. My body felt fine relatively speaking but my brain was just checking out and was wanting to go to sleep and I just didn’t know what to do about it! After fighting for a couple of hours I gave in and announced that I had to take a short nap in the van. I honestly felt better after getting out and within a couple minutes threw up everything I had just ate on the side of the pitch dark road with Andy and Gabe standing watch. The dry-heaving lasted for quite a while and then I took off walking again before eventually working my way to a run some walk some rhythm.

Eventually around 1:30 am or so my mom arrived to help and to crew for a while and was able to give me a much needed hug, and Gabe a ride back to his car in Kingman. At this point it was just Andy and I who were left to run to the end. Two hours later I felt like if didn’t take another nap I was going to fall over. I slept solidly for 30 more minutes. This time getting out of the van was really hard. I don’t want to admit how badly I wanted to quit. I changed all of my clothes and wore Under Armor tights and tops with an additional layer to stay warm outside. Altogether I spent 60 minutes asleep in the warm van. I’ve never done that before. I don’t recommend it as a strategy to completing a 100 miler. It just happened. It was survival. But from that time on I never sat back down again…I knew that to do so would very likely be the end for me.

I tried to run but really didn’t do much running mostly just a lot of fast walking for the next two or three hours. I was discouraged, frustrated and just plan overwhelmed by how far I had left to go at mile 64 realizing I had 40 miles left to go and I already felt this bad. The course is actually 104.2 miles. Those extra 4 really seemed to overwhelm me. At that pace I was calculating possible finish times with the half of my brain that was awake and I was so discouraged thinking about it that I eventually just blocked it out of my mind.

I had a goal of getting to the Sedgwick County line which meant 25 miles left (79 miles run so far) before 7 am and I made it within 2 minutes. This was somewhat encouraging. I hoped and prayed that the sunrise would give me a boost. And thankfully it did!

Sarah, who had left to sleep for 7 hours at home came back with hot coffee for Andy and fresh breakfast burritos. This was a first for both of us drinking coffee and eating breakfast burritos on the run but it really hit the spot. As the sun came up and started to warm things up I started to feel better and started running the flats and downhills again and slowly warmed my way back to a consistent 14 minute mile for over 10 miles. My next mental goal was just getting to mile 94 which meant only 10 miles left to go. Somehow single digits were really encouraging. And this meant the hustle and bustle of Wichita and not the remote desolation of the middle of nowhere…no offense. Running through Wichita I honestly felt great like I could go on forever.

Tim Marshall who had run so many miles Saturday drove the crew van all night long going ahead about 1-2 miles at a time and filled up water bottles and offered lots of encouragement and support. He left around 9 am to go to church in Rose Hill to talk about the Run for Missions with no sleep!

When I hit the east side of Sedgwick County Park I only had 3.7 miles left to go. Then it got fun. I was in a t-shirt and shorts by this point and was worried about getting too much sun even on the second day. I was really running strong with Andy throughout these final miles and I hit a couple 12:30s, I think.

Several well-wishers and friends found me on the course those last 4 miles and honked and waved and yelled, “You’re crazy”. It was music to my ears. Several more friends met me and ran the last couple blocks. There were 20 or so people waiting to celebrate the finish line with Andy and I at 2018 W. Maple Street at 12:57 pm on Sunday afternoon.

Then I just sat down in a chair and began to tell the story to my friends who were gathered around. Part of me wanted to laugh and part of me wanted to cry. I was so relieved to be done and also just so overwhelmed by the whole ordeal. We stayed for 30 minutes talking and telling the story of how we got there. The crowd really enjoyed my silver-dollar sized blood blister on my left foot. Once my shoes came off, they didn’t go back on for 48 hours. I wore my wife’s slippers for the next two days!

Sometimes running is fun but, honestly, most of the time it isn’t. But it’s always good. My experience with the second half of this run wasn’t fun but it was good. I guess I’ve heard it said that God is kind of like that. He isn’t safe and we don’t always understand Him and His ways and we certainly should never claim to have Him all figured out, but He is good. Yes, I do believe to my core that God is truly good.

I finished so thankful for such incredible friends and family that are all such a gift and also so humbled by the distance. Running one hundred miles can do that to a guy.

Ultimately the Run for Missions is not about my story. It is all about raising money for missions so that the story of God’s great goodness and mercy can be brought to all the people of all nations. That’s why we did this, that’s why we finished, and that’s why you support the cause. Thank you.

Kansas City/Des Moines Marathons Back-to-Back

2011-10-22T20:35:00.005-05:00

One of my 2011 “Goals” was to run marathons on back-to-back days and finish both of them under four hours. I accomplished that goal last weekend for the first time!

Back in April 2009, I ran a 40 mile trail run at Free State on a Saturday and then did the Oklahoma City Marathon the very next day which was a pretty tough little weekend challenge but I ran slow on Sunday and finished in like 4:28. So my goal was to run both races well and not just ‘finish’.

Saturday at the Kansas City Marathon I was a pacer for the 3:40 pace team. This was my third time pacing for Runner’s Edge out of Kansas City. The previous two times I have nailed my time so I felt all the pressure to make sure I hit it just right this time as well. We had a nice pack of runners shooting for 3:40 and I coached the back half of the pack along. A few of the people I was working with couldn’t quite keep up in the last 4-8 miles or so and had to fall back. I had slowed up to try to reel them in. This meant I had about 8 minutes to do the last 1.2 so I had to fly like crazy at nearly a sprint from mile 25 on to get in under pace time. I did in 3:39:51. Felt some right hamstring pain during the marathon which made me a little nervous.

Drove the few hour trip to Des Moines the same afternoon not yet even haven taken a shower! Went to packet pickup with salt-crusted face and smelly body and got ready for day 2 by sleeping 9 hours solid in a hotel room after watching about 3 outs of the NLCS but not being able to stay awake past the 3rd inning. Sunday morning came and the temperature was just perfect with a brisk, cool start and a perfect day ahead weather wise with cool temps and slight cloud cover.

I was still sore and kind of gimpy those first few miles. I fell in behind the 4 hour pace team and just tried to really take it easy the first half of the race which wasn’t hard because I was sore and even hurting some in that hamstring. But after about mile 10 it actually went away and I felt warmed up and started feeling great – ready to really run this thing! I went from running 9 minute or little slower miles to 8:15-8:30s or so for the next 10. I felt strong and confident. I had made a couple friends who were newbies and I had fun sharing stories and sharing running secrets. The last 10K I was still feeling surprisingly well so I sped up the pace all the way to the finish. I had caught up to and ran with the 3:55 pace group for a while and then went on ahead of them too. I ended up finishing in 3:52 and was just thrilled with the time. The other funny thing is I finished feeling good with basically no hamstring pain. Then I took a shower at the Y in downtown Des Moines, just 2 blocks from the finish line, drove back to Wichita and was home by supper time. The next day I was only slightly sore and felt surprisingly good.

Now all I have to do is some short simple maintenance runs every other day at the most between now and next Saturday when I run the Run for Missions 104.2 Fundraiser Run from Haviland to Wichita and nurse that sore hamstring back to health so it doesn’t come back to hurt me later.

Sunday was my 16th state down for my running a marathon in every state goal. See total archive list here: http://adammonaghan.blogspot.com/2011/04/marathonultra-archive-2011-update.html.

Heartland 100 2011

2011-10-11T07:35:00.000-05:00

Trying to summarize the experience of running 100 miles in less that 24 hours is not easy. I had been looking forward to the race all year and training fairly well all summer and into the fall. When the day finally arrived I just wanted to get started. Once you get started it feels as if everything is right, even though you know how crazy hard it's going to be to get to that finish line.

I started in a short sleeved shirt as it was in the low to mid 60s at the 6 am start on Saturday. That's really warm for October. I fell in with Eric and Steve, two guys I've run with before at other races and who were attempting their first 100 mile finishes. I enjoyed running with them on and off all the rest of the day to the finish. The first 25 miles was uneventful. Eric had a headlamp that was bright enough for Steve and I to see the rocks by for the first hour or so, since neither of us carried a headlamp at the start. I never have and never have felt like I needed one to start off at Heartland since so many have one and the first few miles are pretty smooth terrain-wise. Once the sun came up the winds began to pick up and the temps started to rise. I knew it was going to be a tough day. I arrive at the 25 mile aid station about 20 minutes slower than last year, which is smart, I think.

The wind up on the high points of the road from Texaco Hill into Ridgeline was brutal. The temps were, I'm guessing here, nearly 80 or so by this point, or at least it felt that way and the wind really dried you out. We were estimating the wind gusts to as high as 40 mph. I kept reminding the guys I was running with and myself to drink, drink, drink! I arrived at Ridgeline, 36 miles, within a minute of the same time as last year. Last year at that point nausea was just starting to creep in. This year I still felt great. I was really encouraged by that! Also, a really a pleasant surprise at Ridgeline was seeing Sarah. Not feeling too well, she couldn't commit to making it out to crew and/or pace this year, so I was going it alone at Heartland with no crew and no pacer. But I was able to see Sarah and she knew I was doing well.

My running partners weren't quite ready so I took off from Ridgeline, running alone for the first time of the day. I enjoyed the next few miles as some clouds had finally rolled in and made the day much more pleasant. Then all of the sudden close to the 40 mile mark the temps dropped 10 degrees! That was great. I saw Sarah again at Matfield Green (and then she went ahead and left for home) and changed my shirt for the first time that day. As I left the aid-station it started to rain. It rained off and on for the next few hours. I rolled on to the half way point, enjoying the opportunity to greet all the others on the course. I got to the 50 mile mark, called Lone Tree, at 9:50 and got my supplies I needed and ate some awesome food (like fried chicken tacquitos and real food for the first time all day - just gels up until that point!) and took off at 9:55 elapsed time. I was thrilled to see Eric show up there just after me so we took off together, and really cruised back to Matfield Green (30 min faster than last year). As I greeted most of the rest of the runners, I thought it was cool how many of them I actually know and know well. That makes the whole ultra-running thing so much more fun!

At Matfield Green I ate some soup and filled pockets with other food and, since Eric wasn't quite ready, took off alone again for Ridgeline. I got to Ridgeline before dark and found my drop bag and put on my headlamp. But when I turned it on it wouldn't work! The batteries were brand new and the headlamp is brand new. I changed the batteries and it still wouldn't work so I panicked and asked around until a crew person for someone else (Eric's wife actually) loaned me their hand-held back up flashlight. This helped me to get to Texaco Hill but was hard because I was carrying two hand held water bottles and made the flashlight difficult to carry and balance everything. I ate a big cup of Gary's potato chili leaving the aid-station. It was great!

By the time I got to Texaco Hill it was really raining hard and I knew I had to keep moving to stay warm. They had hot fresh food off the grill there so I ate a couple quesadillas and some more soup and some Mt. Dew totally loved it! Also, thankfully, one of the aid-station volunteers graciously loaned me his extra headlamp that I could wear all the way to the finish line. The next section was tough only because of the rain had caused some serious mud to occur. I tried to run in the grass next to the mud but the grass had lots of large hidden rocks so that didn't work out too well. Eventually after a few miles, the mud section passed. I was still feeling well, sore and stiff legged, but still running strong and feeling good coming into Teterville, the 75 mile marker. I ate a hot grilled cheese sandwich and two cups of potato soup and well as 2 cups of Mt Dew here.

About a mile down the road I saw my friend and training partner Andy heading the opposite direction to the turnaround as he was running the 50 mile course and had started at 6 pm. I knew he would eventually catch me but now I had something to work for and to delay that as long as possible. I ran pretty hard into Lapland, the 83.5 mile mark, and arrived there just after 12:00 am. Just before arriving Steve and his pacer caught up to me and I followed them on it at a great pace. While at the aid-station, and eating some more ramen noodle soup, Andy caught up. I stayed with him for about a mile and a half before he took off for good. I stayed with Steve and his pacer Brian all the way to the finish line.

I honestly felt great the whole day. I never had any nausea or any pain of any kind other than just normal soreness from running so far. Obviously my quads were trashed by the end but it didn't hurt any less or more to run than walk. I ate 30 or more gels throughout the day but had GU this year and think I need to stick with the Hammer Gels I had last year which are a bit more expensive.

In the last 11 miles or so I just kind of lost my drive and didn't really care. I didn't want to quit or anything but I lost that drive to push hard and fight and measure and calculate and beat my PR from last year. I finished with 22:51 which was about 28 minutes slower than last year. Honestly though, I didn't really care by this point. I was just so relieved to be done and to be able to just sit down! After eating yet more soup and half of a cheeseburger, I, with help, went to my car to sleep with the heater on! I woke 2 hours later feeling suprisingly well. I drove myself home and showered, and then waddled my pathetic looking self into church and everyone kept asking me what was wrong with me! (I don’t tell everyone I’m running 100 miles any more because after a while - this was my 7th 100 mile finish - they get tired of hearing about it.) Of course, I took a long afternoon nap but I feel surprisingly well. My quads are destroyed but otherwise I feel good and will probably be running again by Wednesday. Gotta get loosened up for the back to back marathons this weekend in Kansas City and Des Moines! I never claimed to be smart - just adventurous.

I am thrilled to have my 4th Heartland 100 belt buckle. I finished 15th out of 69 finishers with closer to 100 starters, I think.

I want to conclude with words shared by Eric, one of the guys I was running with. He posted the following really profound words after his finish (thanks, Eric!):

It was truly an amazing journey, and one that covered enough terrain and time to take me to a lot of different places - not all of them pleasant. As expected it was a practice in accepting and receiving what was there at any given moment - high winds, rain, pain, stunning skies, gorgeous prairie, herds of cows, more pain - without resisting it or wishing things would be different. Deeply grateful for the experience and the friends and family who helped make it possible.

I just think that says it all. In the end I am deeply grateful to have the chance to do this and believe that this experience is one intended to teach me how to be grateful, present to any moment "without resisting it or wishing things would be different..."

Heartland 100 2010: http://adammonaghan.blogspot.com/2010/10/heartland-100-2010.html

Heartland 100 2009: http://adammonaghan.blogspot.com/2009/10/heartland-100-2009.html

Heartland 100 2008: http://adammonaghan.blogspot.com/2008/10/heartland-100-report.html

Run for Missions 2011

2011-10-07T13:39:00.000-05:00

Sarah is the webmaster and I am the race director for our Run for Missions 5K and 10K event, coming up on Saturday, October 29 in Haviland, KS. We are excited that this year will be the first year for a half-marathon that has been added as well. So far the majority of advance entries are in the half-marathon event. Prices go up on Oct 18th. You can still register up to and on race day.

We are also looking forward to the 100 Mile-Fundraiser Run beginning before noon on Oct 29 and running in reverse from Haviland to Wichita. This will be the 4th consecutive year for this Run. Several people plan to join up with me for a few miles here and there. Let me know if you're interested.

Run for Missions website: http://runformissions.org/

Flatrock 2011

2011-10-03T15:47:00.001-05:00

What can I say? It's a very hard 31 mile trail run. There is no other trail that I've ever run anywhere that is consistently, relentlessly, and ridiculously technical as Flatrock 50K in southeast Kansas. Oh wait, there was that stupid Canadian Death Race thing but that doesn’t really count because 1. It is in Canada and 2. I didn’t even finish it and 3. While the worst of it was worse than the worse of Flatrock, there was more runnable terrain at the Death Race than at Flatrock so it doesn’t count.

Okay, before I exaggerate how hard Flatrock is too much, and start to dream up a really big one, at least I can say that as I entered the trailhead after a little 1/5 mile jaunt on the road I yelled out “Now everything I ran and trained for in the last 3 months has nothing to do with the type of terrain I will cover in the next 6 hours”.

My favorite mental image of Flatrock this year is my poor friend and training partner, Andy, who finished bleeding in more ways than one. But he was still very happy!
I wanted to arrive at the turnaround (half-way point) about 3 hours in and I pushed to make it happen. But it didn’t happen. Not even close. 3:15 or so and I was already tired. I tripped a lot and stubbed my toes a lot and turned my ankles a lot in the return-trip. But I enjoyed every second of it. I think I know how weird that sounds but probably not. I finished in like 6:54 which was slower than last year even though I believe I'm in better shape but who knows.

Thankfully on the return trip I fell in with a pack of other people (long time Flatrock finishers like Dennis Haig and Teresa Wheeler) slugging along and stayed in the train all the way to the end.

This is my fifth consecutive finish. Only 5 more to go and the Hall of Pain. What more could a guy ask for in life?

Quotes on Post-Modern Spirituality and Leadership

2011-09-27T15:12:00.000-05:00

Church is not a classroom where subjects are cut and dried, black and white, and true or not true. Everybody's living a life that contains ambiguity and complexity. My task is to enter that world, find a language, and preserve the ambiguity without giving up the truth. -Eugene Peterson, Catalyst Leadership, Sept-Oct 2011

If superficiality is the curse of the modern age, what's the curse of the postmodern age? Distraction. People today are distracted and cannot focus. With the Internet and entertainment, so many different ways to keep people's minds constantly shifting, they don't have to think. And, of course, churches sometimes play right into that-with fast paced services that keep people jumping all over the place. That's why solitude and silence are among the most important spiritual disciplines for today.

What other spiritual challenges are unique to our age? We have taught a gospel for some decades now that has cut people off from a life of holiness and discipleship with Jesus. We have preached, "Assent to certain truths and you'll get into heaven when you die." the main focus has been getting into heaven. The gospel of Jesus-"repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand"-is about entering into a life with Jesus now. And that includes heaven, of course, when we die. But life formation beings right now.

William Penn said, "Religion doesn't take us out of the world. But it pushes us into the world and excites our endeavors to mend the world."

-Richard Foster Q & A, Catalyst Leadership, Sept-Oct 2011

Christian bubble...the subculture Christians create that allows us to conduct our entire life having minimal contact with anything "secular"...Taking a missionary posture with our church plant, we began employing strategies to build relationships with non-Christians. We hung out in coffee shops, invited people to our house, and talked to our neighbors. That doesn't sound like a big deal, but it was a challenge. We had spent our entire lives doing Christian things with Christian people, and engaging people who did not share our faith. This felt as awkward as a first date....The bubble is comfortable. There are unwritten rules about how to be nice to each other, what you can say and what you can't, and the correct answers to life's difficult questions...not a short-term missionary on a day trip out of the bubble...an ambassador of Christ to this outpost of God's kingdom. -Trevor Lee, Catalyst Leadership, Sept-Oct 2011

Sadly, as our culture's capacity to engage and maintain meaningful relationships has deteriorated, we have seen a rise in celebrity-based rather than proximity-based authority. And the same trend is evident within the church. Just because someone has a large ministry or has sold millions of books doesn't mean we should automatically grant him authority over our life, faith, or congregation. As many entertainers, politicians, and church leaders have proven, it is possible to build a large platform and yet lack the character, intelligence, and competency to faithfully wield it. - Skye Jethani, Catalyst Leadership, Sept-Oct 2011

For Millennials, just attending church does not equal faithfulness. The only way they'll attend is if they see the church as being a meaningful part of their lives...Most Millennials...prefer heterogeneous groups. Perhaps this is being driven by the diversification of our culture. For example, preschools are projected to become minority white in 2021. Diversity is normative for Millennials, and they will gravitate toward churches that look like their diverse schools and workplaces.

Appeals to positional authority don't carry weight with younger people. They want pastors, elders, and leaders who equip them without constantly reminding them of who is in charge. For Millennials, authority doesn't exist to prop up leaders. Rather, the leader must assume the responsibility to enhance the lives of followers. The debt of authority is the responsibility to sacrifice for followers.

Millennials refuse to sit on the sidelines. They want to be part of the action, or they'll be gone. A church without opportunities for the next generation is boring at best and disobedient at worst. Contrary to the stereotype, most Millennials are not scared off by hard work. In fact, one of the best ways to keep them engaged is communicate a large vision, worthy of their devotion, and set high expectations.

This next generation desires to be led. They are willing to follow if given a change to make a difference. Unify them with other generations. And them them meaningful opportunities to participate in God's work in the world. -Sam S. Rainer, Catalyst Leadership, Sept-Oct 2011

Sit Among Roses and Lilies?

2011-09-16T15:43:00.000-05:00

“The Kingdom is to be in the midst of your enemies. And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies, not with the bad people but the devout people. O you blasphemers and betrayers of Christ! If Christ had done what you are doing who would ever have been spared?” (Luther) p17-18, quoted in Life Together by Bonhoeffer

The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating The Missional Church

2011-09-15T13:02:00.004-05:00

By Alan Hirsch

A church which pitches its tents without constantly looking out for new horizons, which does not continually strike camp, is being untrue to its calling…We must play down our longing for certainty, accept what is risky, and live by improvisation and experiment. –Has Kung, The Church as the People of God

We can't seem to make disciples based on a consumerist approach to the faith. We plainly cannot consume our way into discipleship. All of us must become much more active in the equation of becoming lifelong followers of Jesus. Consumption is detrimental to discipleship. P45

Strictly speaking one ought to say that the Church is always in a state of crisis and that its greatest shortcoming is that it is only occasionally aware of it… This ought to be the case because the abiding centuries of crisis-free existence for the Church was therefore an abnormality…And if the atmosphere of crisislessness still lingers on in many parts of the West, this is simply the result of a dangerous delusion. Let us also know that to encounter crisis is to encounter the possibility of truly being the Church. –David Bosch, Transforming Mission p49

Theologically, we are right to say that the church is not the kingdom. It is but a sign, a symbol, and a foretaste of the kingdom of God. And while the kingdom expresses itself in and through the church in powerful ways, it is never the sole expression of it. The church is part of the kingdom, but the kingdom extends to God's rule everywhere. P51

We must not abandon Christendom, for in it we are God's people, but it needs a fundamental change, a conversion if you like, if it is to become genuinely missional. This change is possible, but not without major realignment of our current thinking and resources. And because Christendom is so deeply entrenched in our imaginations and practices, this shift will certainly not happen without significant political will to change. It will be resisted by those with the most significant vested interests in the current system. P67

The truly liberating thing to realize is that Christendom was not the original mode of the church, and hopefully it will not be the final one. It is high time for us to dethrone Constantine; as far as matters of church go, it seems he is still the emperor of our imaginations. The church now faces the challenge of discovering mission in a new paradigm while struggling to free itself from the Christendom mindset. P66

The major threat to the viability of our faith is that of consumerism. This is a far more heinous and insidious challenge to the gospel, because in so many ways it infects each and every one of us. P106-107

I simply do not believe that we can continue to try and think our way into a new way of thinking, but rather, we need to act our way into a new way of thinking. P122

"I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings." 1 Corinthians 9:22-23

We can identify at least four dimensions that frame our understanding of the Incarnation of God in Jesus the Messiah. They are Presence: In Jesus the eternal God is fully present to us…God in the flesh (John 1:1-15, Col 2:9); Proximity: God in Christ approached us not only in a way we can understand, but in a way we can access. He not only called people to repentance and proclaimed the direct presence of God (Mark 1:15), but befriended outcast people and lived life in proximity with the broken and "the lost" (Luke 19:10); Powerlessness: in becoming "one of us," God takes the form of a servant and not that of someone who rules over us (Phil 2:6ff, Luke 22:25-27)…; and Proclamation: Not only did the Presence of God directly dignify all that is human, but he heralded the reign of God and called people to respond in repentance and faith…. P132

The Incarnation not only qualifies God's acts in the world, but must also qualify ours. If God's central way of reaching his world was to incarnate himself in Jesus, then our way of reaching the world should be likewise be incarnational. To act incarnationally therefore will mean in part that in our mission to those outside of the faith we will need to exercise a genuine identification and affinity with those we are attempting to reach. At the very least, it will probably mean moving into common geography/space and so set up a real and abiding presence among the group. But the basic motive of incarnational ministry is also revelatory—that they may come to know God through Jesus. P133

If we are to follow in his footsteps, his people will need to be directly and actively involved in the lives of the people we are seeking to reach. This assumes not only presence but also genuine availability, which will involve spontaneity as well as regularity in friendships and communities we inhabit. P134

A genuine incarnational approach will require that we be always willing to share the gospel story with those within our world. We simply cannot take this aspect out of the equation of mission and remain faithful to our calling in the world. We are essentially a "message tribe," and that means we must ensure the faithful transmission of the message we carry through proclamation. P134

…Ecclesiology is the most fluid of the doctrines. The church is a dynamic cultural expression of the people of God in any given place. Worship style, social dynamics, liturgical expressions must result from the process of contextualizing the gospel in any given culture. Church must follow mission. P143

We need to move from evangelistic-attractional to missional-incarnational. This transition can best be recovered by seeing mission as an activity of God and not primarily an activity of the church. We participate in God's mission and not the other way around. If this is conceded, then it follows that we must engage in ways that mirror God's engagement with the world…p147

…Religious institutionalism happens when in the name of some convenience we set up a system to do what we must do ourselves so that over time the structures we create take on a life of their own. A classic example is churches outsourcing education to external organizations. Initially, these training organizations exist to fully serve the grass roots. However, over time they increase in authority, eventually becoming ordaining bodies whose imprimatur is needed to minister. As the provider of degrees, they become increasingly more accountable to the government bodies than they do to the mission of the church. But the net result for the local community is that not only do they become dependent on an increasingly powerful and cloistered institution, they also lose the ancient art of discipling and educating for life in the local setting. The local church as a learning and theologizing community is degraded as a result. P186

(Summary) of Howard Snyder's book Signs of the Spirit, where he identifies the following as characteristics of movements: thirst for renewal (holy discontent), a new stress on the work of the Spirit, an institutional-charismatic tension (tensions within existing structures, i.e. wineskins), a concern for being a countercultural community, non traditional or nonordainded leadership, ministry to the poor, and an energy and dynamism. P193

…We too quickly identify the concrete-historical expressions of the church as the body of Christ. And while there is a truth to this, for the church is the body of Christ, perhaps the greater truth is that the body of Christ is the church. When we say that the church is the body of Christ, it claims a certain authority for a particular expression of church. To say that the body of Christ is the church is to open up possibilities as to how it might physically and organizationally express itself. This doesn't just localize it to one particular expression of church….To restate in these terms enables us to escape the monopolizing grip that the institutional image of church holds over our theological imaginations, and allows us to undertake a journey of reimagining what it means to be God's people in our own day and in our own situations. P198-199

There is something about middle-class culture that seems to be contrary to authentic gospel values…what goes by "middle-class" involves a preoccupation with safety and security, developed mostly in pursuit of what seems to be best for our children. And this is understandable as long as it doesn't become obsessive. But when these impulses of middle-class culture fuse with consumerism, as they most often do, we can add the obsession with comfort and convenience to the list. And this is not a good mix—at least as far as the gospel and missional church are concerned. P219

No groups that came together around a non-missional purpose (e.g., prayer, worship, study, etc.) ever ended up becoming missional. It was only those groups that set out to be missional (while embracing prayer, worship study, etc., in the process) that actually got to doing it. p235

A genuine missional church is therefore a genuine learning organization. P260

Brian McLaren, a key voice for what is called the emerging voice in the United States, recommends that the churches adopt a core value of valuing adaptability itself. He says, "Change your church's attitude toward change and everything else will change as it should." P260

Adaptive (versus operational) leadership moves the system to the edge of chaos, not over it, but to the edge of it. As was said before, the leader's role is to ensure that the system is directly facing up to the issues that confront it, issues that if left unattended will eventually destroy it. P261

Theological liberalism is an indicator of institutional decline not only because it tries to minimize the necessary tension between gospel and culture by eliminating the culturally offending bits, but because it is basically parasitical ideology…theological liberalism rarely creates new forms of church or extends Christianity in any significant way, but rather exists and "feeds off" what the more orthodox missional movements started. P262

Most established denominations, including the more evangelical ones, are also built squarely on Christendom assumptions of church and therefore, like all institutions, are facing significant threat and need to be led to the edge of chaos. It is there, by living in the tension that it brings, they will find more authentic and missional ways of being God's people. So leaders, turn up the heat, but manage it. P262

Listening as Spiritual Hospitality

2011-08-26T09:32:00.000-05:00

To listen is very hard, because it asks of us so much interior stability that we no longer need to prove ourselves by speeches, arguments, statements, or declarations. True listeners no longer have an inner need to make their presence known. They are free to receive, to welcome, to accept.

Listening is much more than allowing another to talk while waiting for a chance to respond. Listening is paying full attention to others and welcoming them into our very beings. The beauty of listening is that, those who are listened to start feeling accepted, start taking their words more seriously and discovering their own true selves. Listening is a form of spiritual hospitality by which you invite strangers to become friends, to get to know their inner selves more fully, and even to dare to be silent with you.

Henri Nouwen

New Crossroads Message

2011-08-24T09:47:00.001-05:00

Here is the link to my most recent (August) message on Romans 12 at Crossroads: http://www.crossroadswichita.com/romans-12-adam-monaghan/.

Romans 12:9-21
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

And a Place to Relax!

2011-08-21T20:03:00.001-05:00

So Exciting to Have Gardens!

2011-08-21T19:59:00.001-05:00

And...A Place to Eat!

2011-08-21T19:47:00.001-05:00

And Now We Even Have a Guest Room!

2011-08-21T19:42:00.001-05:00

A Remodelled Bathroom!

2011-08-21T19:41:00.001-05:00

Our New Bedroom!

2011-08-21T19:40:00.001-05:00

Our Awesome New Kitchen

2011-08-21T19:38:00.001-05:00

Grizzly Marathon Weekend in Choteau, Montana

2011-08-08T17:41:00.001-05:00

Sarah and I finished our awesome two week vacation with one final stop before driving home: Choteau, MT. This small town in northwest Montana, only about 100 miles south of the border, had great small town pride and very warm and friendly hospitality. We arrived mid afternoon and checked into our cheap, simple, but very professional motel, only a block from the race start/finish.

The 10K started at 6:30pm on Friday night. I was pre-registered but Sarah decided to register on the spot and run it as well. Her running shoes had given out the week prior at Lake Louise on one of our hikes and caused bad heel blisters. We asked at packet pickup if they had any shoes for sell or anything like that. One of the volunteers said she was the same shoe size as Sarah and went home and brought back four pairs for her to try one, saying she could wear any of them for the race and one of the pairs in particular she could buy from her if she wanted because she had only worn them once and didn't like how they fit. Sarah wore those shoes, the Aasics Nimbus 13, for the 10K. She loved them. We researched online and found they they run about $130 new so we offered her $75 and instead she bargained and only accepted $50 from us. What a great deal and what nice people in Choteau! And boy do women know how to do some backwards bargaining!

The 10K was a very interesting course though it was an out and back. It was definitely the hardest 10K I have ever run. The slowest 10K I've ever run by far. The only time I've ever had to walk in a 10K (mile 1.5 through the 3.1 is a long, steep, gnarly hill into a gailforce headwind). But also the highest I've ever placed in a 10K (5th overall, 4th male). I ran a negative split by about 3.5 minutes with the tailwind and definitely felt the altitude and difference in dry mountain air on hydration even at the 10K distance. Sarah finished strong also running a negative split. She stopped in the second mile to help a little boy who was crying and make sure he was alright and then carried on to face the wind and hill. She ran the second half without stopping and finished really strong feeling good. I was able to pace her in the last mile.

Saturday morning was the marathon. The buses to the start line left promptly at 4:00 am which made for an early start to the day. The buses took us out to the middle of nowhere at the base of the mountains on country dirt roads. Thankfully we were able to stay in the bus until just before the race start as it was cold outside - around 50 degrees. The 6:00am start sent us off on the most scenic of any road marathon I have ever run. Great mountains, foothills, and bluff vistas along the course. There were plenty of hills to walk and plenty of downhills to fly down on. My goal basically was to take it easy, have fun, and finish under 4 hours. I had fun running with some marathoners going for 50 states and hearing their different stories. I was holding together quite nicely until nausea started setting in around mile 22 or so. It was getting hot - probably nearing 80 which isn't that bad but my body still wasn't 100% from the weekend before. The biggest thing was just my quads were still sore from the previous Saturday's Canadian Death Race. I had to calculate and strategize quite carefully the last couple miles to subside the nausea (hydration, ginger, etc) and still finish under 4 hours, which I did in 3:59:28. I returned to the motel where, feeling miserable, I threw up. But that's pretty much the end of the story because I quickly felt better after a little nap in the car on the way home and some lunch.

This marathon (apparently in it's final of 10 years) was very professional, very organized and a very classy event. I was especially impressed with the locals from Choteau who shared stories with me about what it was like to live there and have Grizzly Bears come up to their front doors and to live through the long, cold winters. Another state in the bag. Only 35 to go! :)

Results from Grizzly Marathon Races: http://www.grizzlymarathon.com/2011_Grizzly_Results.html

Crossroads Message Posted Online

2011-08-08T17:00:00.001-05:00

My July 17th message at Crossroads Friends Church on Philippians 2 has been posted online at our church's website: http://www.crossroadswichita.com/blog/sermons/.

Wildlife Seen in Northern Montana/Southern Canada

2011-08-06T11:54:00.002-05:00

Banff Day 3 - Of Camp Fires and Recreational Hikes

2011-08-06T11:00:00.003-05:00

Our camp stove broke on Day 2 of camping at Banff, so we decided to go all out rustic and build a real fire to cook all of our meals. The fire was really inviting since it was pretty cold (close to freezing every night) so we spent some time by the fire just reading and journaling. I was really proud of everything that was cooked on the wood fire and our best meal was hot roast beef and cheese bagel sandwiches! We did a little hiking in the afternoon but, overall, this was a pretty recreational day.

Canadian Death Race

2011-08-05T19:08:00.002-05:00

Canadian Death Race
Grande Cache, Alberta, Canada

Cold at starting line!

The starting line

My wonderful crew, Sarah. She said it was a wild and crazy day and prefers the trail races in Kansas with less than 100 people to this crazy event!

Who really wants to report and share the story on a DNF (did not finish)? It’s not exactly as fun and interesting to read as a successful and exciting finish. I tell the story here of my experience with the Canadian Death Race probably mostly as a journal for myself of the experience…to see what I can learn from it. And, for record keeping, as I inevitably look back and perhaps one day try a rematch.

I hadn’t ever even heard of this race until this February when I was looking for races to run while on our two week vacation up north to Montana. Once I found it I entered into the lottery as the solo entrant slots were already filled. This was mid-February. The website said the results of the lottery would be announced ‘soon’. A month went by and then two and then three and I was really getting anxious and desperate to know whether I had got in or not so we could make the rest of our vacation plans and reservations, etc. Finally on May 21st I received the email that I was accepted. I was both relieved and scared.

From what I could gather online, the Canadian Death Race was a 125K trail race with three mountain summits with a 24 hour cutoff. I learned that there was only 17,000 feet of elevation gain/loss over the course and that the highest mountain was just under 7,000 feet. How hard could it be!?! While I know that I have never had any running success in the mountains always seeming to suffering from altitude sickness, etc., I figured with it “only” being 77 miles and with 24 hours cut off and with it only being 7K feet high at the highest elevation that surely I’d be fine.

Grande Cache, Alberta is stunningly beautiful. The town reminds me a lot of Leadville, Colorado with mountains all around. Since there were no hotels left within hours of Grande Cache for the Death Race weekend we camped (probably what we would’ve done anyway though) for free in Tent City with hundreds of others. Tent City is a large open field within walking distance from the race headquarters and the start/finish. Friday night’s pasta meal was really good and we talked to lots of first time attempters, the majority of them were from Alberta. But a lot of them had attended the training camp. At the pre-race meeting they said that the finish rate each year averages to about 33%. Crap, I thought, that reminds me of Leadville.

Race morning was cold, like every morning during our time in Canada, even though it starts getting light well before 5 am. It was probably in the upper 30s. I had my oatmeal and coffee and was way more confident than I guess I should have been and wrote down projected aid station finish times for Sarah who was crewing for me through the whole race.

Leg 1: Start through the first 19K (11.8 miles)

The first mile at the most is just getting out of town, just like Leadville, into the “bush”. I found it funny that people kept calling it the bush instead of the trail but they were right it was the “bush”. I found a previously successful finisher who seemed to be friendly and talkative and tried to hang with him. Once we got into the bush I lost him in the crowds and actually never saw him again. The terrain in the first leg is advertised as the second easiest terrain which is true, but it was still not easy to get a running rhythm. It was all mud, all wet, and not really a trail at all but just bushwhacked bog/swamp/brush terrain around the face of a mountain. There were some ups and downs but no big deal in this section. I tried to be conservative and smart and finished right on my target pace with 11 minute miles. It was fun and there were no problems at all. I came through the check-in zone and met Sarah and quickly got re-geared up for Leg 2 with a dry shirt, and my supplies for two mountain summits (rain jacket, gloves, etc).

Leg 2: 27K (16.7 miles) Two Mountain Summits

Leg 2 is the second longest and second hardest (debatable depending on fresh legs), but for sure the most technical section. It is 27K (16.7 miles) and this section alone has over 5,000 feet of elevation change. The course takes you up Flood Mountain first on double track trails which are fairly mild. I felt fine going up, walking/power-hiking the inclines and running anywhere I found relatively flat sections. When you can tell you are getting closer to the top, the course suddenly veers off the more reasonable trail and re-enters bushwhack territory and just literally, without any exaggeration, goes straight up to the top. This last section was about a mile of climbing straight up, holding onto trees and bushes to make it to the top. Finally when I got there and checked in; I then started my descent. One mountain down two to go. I was feeling great.

The descent starts down the same kind of double track trail as we were originally coming up on, but then after a few minutes takes a sudden turn down. This section is called the “Slugfest” and had lots of signs about not whining. You know the three climbs in the Bluff Loop at Rockin’ K that are really kind of hard but are pretty short? Well, this went down those for, I’d guess, about a mile and a half. A lot of it was called the “Bum Slide” section where the only safe option was literally to slide down on your butt through the dirt or worse yet mud. There really was no other option. At the bottom you go through the worse prolonged swamp section I had ever seen. Every step was a battle to keep your shoes on and make forward progress. I passed one poor guy who lost his shoe and I don’t know if he ever found it? Finally I came through the end of it and then the trail made me head back up. Straight up. No switchbacks, no real trail, just bushwhacked straight up the mountain several kilometers. This was ruthless and intimidating because it was hard, yes, and so slow. You just wonder if you’ll ever make it in time at this pace. Finally you reach a more real dirt mountain road and you continue the steep incline up Grande Mountain. Not too far from the top is the first emergency aid station. I refilled with water and grabbed some supplies. The hardest thing was just to keep moving fast enough for the mosquitoes not to bother you. If ever your pace slowed too much, you could hear the swarm of mosquitoes narrowing in on you. Thankfully the sun went behind the clouds at this point and it cooled off. But the closer I got to the summit, the colder it got and the more the wind blew, so on went the wind breaker and gloves and hat.

I checked in at the top and then started the descent. Two summits down only one to go. I was still feeling surprisingly well. Everyone who had done it before was really dreading the next downhill section called the Power Lines. I love downhill running so I was excited to let gravity do its thing and get to the end of Leg 2. While I still preferred it to climbing, this was absolutely relentless. Way, way steeper and more treacherous than the Power Line section at Leadville but I guess kind of the same idea. I think it was about 5K+ of descent, so steep at times you have to revert to the bum slide. This faced the sunny side of the mountain so everything was dry and loose. I ran hard yet still tried to be smart. I just kept going and going and going, thinking that it would never end. Finally, I saw Grande Cache getting closer and closer and I knew I was almost there. From the bottom of the Power Line section, you have probably a mile and a half, uphill, of course, into Grande Cache to the start/finish area which doubles as the end of Leg 2. Now after what I had just experienced, I was getting overwhelmed a bit, but still felt fine. I told Sarah that my running legs were fine but I was just getting psyched out by all the technical terrain. I was also starting to feel nauseous even after several ginger chews and continued good hydration. I needed a really good Leg 3 both for the mental confidence and for to make the strict cutoff of 7:00 pm to start Leg 4. I left Leg 2, cumulative mileage of 28.5, and time of 7 hours and 52 minutes (3:52 pm).

Leg 3: 19K (11.8 miles)

Leg 3 is definitely the easiest terrain and tied for the second shortest leg at 11.8 miles. After climbing a bunch of rock scrambles and literally running along-side the city dump (good grief, Death Race!), it finally started this wonderfully comfortable descent of around 1,000 feet running along this beautiful river. I flew through this whole section, getting all of my confidence back and excitement that I was going to finish. You finally come to the end of the descent and cross the highway and then have a mile and half climb up to the aid station. The cutoff there is 7pm and I left at 6:50 pm. I hate racing against cutoffs like that but I was definitely still in the middle of the pack.

Leg 4: The Beginning of the End

I had run 40.3 miles and was really feeling great (relatively speaking) and confident about everything but this next section which was a 3,500 foot climb up Mt. Hamel over 6 miles. I had until 10:00 pm (later I found out I mis-remembered and it was actually 10:15) to reach the almost top. Of course when I left the aid station it started to rain and the next section (about 6K or so) is called the Hamel Assault. It is just ruthless. It is a double-track “trail” of mud and rocks that is just so steep, with no relenting. This is where I began to lose it. I don’t really know why or how it happened. My pace slowed considerably, which is normal, but I realized I was starting to get passed by everyone and there was nothing I could do about it. My stomach was upset and my head was spinning. I tried to keep drinking and taking electrolytes. I had to sit down a couple times to get my heart rate down. After what seemed like forever, I finally came out of the trees and onto a coal-mining road up the rest of the mountain. By this time it was raining steadily and it was much colder and because of my pace, I was considerably colder. I had my rain jacket, gloves and hat on. I continued to climb and as I did the nausea continued to worsen.

Eventually I vomited on the side of the road with a half-dozen other runners watching, this brought me to my knees as I continued to dry-heave. I got back up very weak and very unstable and continued trying to walk up road as it curved around the mountain towards the summit. I stopped to dry-heave several more times. I have experienced this downward spiral before at Leadville and honestly don’t know exactly what to do about it in the future and how to prepare, train, and respond to it in the future. As the course sweepers (on 4-wheelers) caught up with me barely moving, they said I only had 2k to the check-in and it was 9:30pm and I was determined to keep going. I knew I still had running legs when the terrain would straighten out. The further up I went, the sicker and weaker and wetter and colder I got. I was shaking and wobbling quite a bit. Someone had given me a thermal blanket (one of those reflective space blankets) just in case as they passed me while I was puking. This eventually came in really handy. I got it out and wrapped up my legs in it as I continued going up. I realized that one of the items that I need to add to my running arsenal is a pair of rain-proof leggings.

I wasn’t the last one out there but the course sweeps were checking in on me regularly and I just wasn’t making enough progress. I had lost all of my hydration and energy and everything really and the more I shook the more I worried about hypothermia. I kept thinking that even if I did make the cutoff which was now very doubtful, I doubted I was in any condition to continue on and make any further cutoffs especially as darkness was going to set in around 11pm and the cold rain continued.

Eventually I gave up, I guess you could say, but it didn’t really feel like it as I was hardly moving at all and was in really bad shape. Humiliated, but relieved, they took me in the 4-wheeler to a coal mining truck (only coal mining vehicles are allowed on these roads, so they partner with The Death Race) with four other drop-outers and we started downhill. In just this short section I had to have the driver stop twice to throw up again. We stopped at the coal mine office headquarters, which served as a sort of evacuation exchange zone. The driver went up for more ‘bodies’ and another driver took us the long trip down the coal mining road to the highway at the bottom where a death race official shuttled us into town and to my tent where I met up with Sarah who was sleeping. It rained all night long as I slept until just after the 8am cutoff.

The Aftermath

Anyone who has DNF’d at a big race like this knows the feeling and the second guessing and the mental anguish that goes on for a couple days. I tried to keep it to a minimum so as to continue on with a very fun vacation and I believe I did so for the most part. I still have a lot of learning, research, listening, experimenting, and training to do to ever be ready for anything like this (comparing it to Leadville, of course, where I am still eager to have a finish some year). I am open to any and all suggestions and recommendations and feedback.

Turns out the finishers rate was 36% this year but from studying the results it seems that where I dropped it was approximately better than 50%. Results are posted here: http://www.canadiandeathrace.com/ir/rpt_05_ResultsSolo.pdf. All in all I did about 45-ish miles in 13.5 hours. I figured I would never have the opportunity to attempt the Canadian Death Race again as it is 2,300 miles from Wichita and very expensive both to get there and to enter in the race. But after a few days I even started to think, well, maybe I could find a way… :)

For those still interested in running this race…check out: http://www.canadiandeathrace.com/.

Banff Day 2 - Lake Morraine to Eiffel Lake

2011-08-03T19:01:00.004-05:00

Today we hiked from Lake Morraine to Eiffel Lake. It was a trail with a lot of solitude and raw, big nature. I got scared over a couple of the rock scrambles toward the end, but overall this was an awesome half-day hike!

Banff National Park Day 1 - Lake Louise to Six Glaciers

2011-08-02T18:56:00.001-05:00

We love Banff National Park! We are camping by Lake Louise and hiking in the general vicinity. Today we hiked the Six Glacier Plains trail and swung by Mirror Lake on the way back. We stopped for some raspberryade at a chalet that is tucked away in the top right corner of the picture directly above!

Grande Cache, Alberta - Day 1

2011-07-30T18:35:00.003-05:00

Adam is currently running The Canadian Death Race, a 125K race that passes over three mountain summits. He is currently about half-way done and says it is the toughest trail race that he has ever run!

I, on the other hand, well.... I just am enjoying waiting on my man! It's pretty exciting when he finally pulls into an aid station!

Montana Day 2 - Iceberg Lake

2011-07-30T18:23:00.004-05:00

On our second full day in Montana, we woke up pretty early to head with a ranger out to Iceberg Lake (10 mile round trip hike). This was an outstanding hike in the Many Glacier region and the lake at the end was breathtaking! We saw one glacier, two mountain goats and one bear and lots of Columbian squirrels as we were hiking.

Montana Day 1 - St. Mary & St. Elizabeth Falls

2011-07-30T18:13:00.002-05:00

We arrived in Montana in the evening after a full day's drive, but were pleasantly surprised that it stayed light quite late! We woke up the next day at a leisurely pace and then hike St. Mary and St. Virginia Falls.

Wyoming with Jadon & Audrey

2011-07-30T18:08:00.005-05:00

Our northern-bound (think: cool weather!) road trip has been a great success so far! We are so grateful that our Crown Vic with almost 300K miles has been really faithful to us.

Our first stop was in Kemmerer, WY to visit Jadon and Audrey Ross. We took a great hike in the hill country surrounding this awesome town. The altitude was new to me, but the views were super rewarding!

"When Helping Hurts" Visual Summary

2011-07-22T16:26:00.001-05:00

One Year Anniversary!

2011-07-20T09:58:00.004-05:00

I know that one year of marriage is just a small step in the journey of lifelong love, but it still seems so significant! We celebrated fairly simply with a nice home-cooked meal and a re-watch of our wedding day video, but we are anticipating our upcoming vacation in the northern country where we will have time to really re-engage and properly celebrate one year of marriage!

Go Cabin B!

2011-07-20T09:51:00.001-05:00

One of the huge highlights of my summer was counseling senior high campers at Camp Quaker Haven in June. Abby Hutson and I had such an awesome cabin and we loved the girls in our cabin so much! I think the pictures attest to some of the incredible group bonding that took place!

Camp Quaker Haven - Guys Cabins!

2011-07-20T09:30:00.001-05:00

Adam counseled both senior and junior high camps this year at Camp Quaker Haven! I thought the very most awesome thing was that my little brother Caleb was able to fly out from New York to be in Adam's junior high camp cabin!

Progress!

2011-07-19T22:50:00.003-05:00

Our house is still awaiting many little changes (and some big ones, like new windows), but progress is definitely being made and we are so excited! This week Hannah and Jacob came to work with us on our floors.

We redid all of the hardwood flooring and then put flooring in the dining room. We did some more demolition work and installed quarter-round throughout the whole house. It was quite an incredible task and I was so blessed to work with Hannah and Jacob - they actually made it quite fun!

Hopefully before too long we can put up more pictures that show even more progress! (Also, we have to show off Kenny Smith's custom kitchen, which is such a gift to us and maybe some pictures can be unveiled soon!)

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Saltshaker Sinaloa 2011

2011-07-19T21:50:00.005-05:00

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

This summer has held many pretty big events for us - graduations in New York, camp counseling, housework, and a two week trip to Siete Ejidos, Mexico. It's been over a week since we've gotten back from Mexico, but I finally have a little window of time to sort through pictures.

Living in Mexico for two weeks was definitely an awesome new experience for me. When Adam and I were dating, I had once asked him (since his last name is Monaghan) if he was Irish. He said that he didn't know, but that he sure felt Mexican. Adam has always had a great love for the people of Mexico and has always wanted me to meet his Mexican family.

So this summer the two of us went to Siete Ejidos, Sinaloa with a team of people from different Friends churches in the mid-west. Siete Ejidos is a very small village surrounded by farm land where there is a small Friends Church. We simply lived among the people of this village for two weeks and ate with them, visited with them, experienced the roller coaster of life with them (hot, hot heat and then torrential rains), and just encouraged each other in our hope to live life more tangibly in the Kingdom of God.

I was amazed by the tremendous hospitality that was offered so generously to us during our visit. Adam and I both already miss our family in Siete Ejidos and hope that there will eventually be more opportunities to continue to build relationship with our friends there.

Lunar Trek 2011

2011-07-19T12:34:00.000-05:00

I have always loved this race and still do. I participated in the first ever Lunar Trek in 2008 and finished the 40 miler. See Lunar Trek 2008 Report. I finished the 100K in 2009, the first time they offered that distance, on a year when a slight cool front rolled in around day break, providing a mid morning temperature of no more than low 80s and clouds. See Lunar Trek 2009 Report. I had to miss it in 2010 due to the date conflict. I was back in 2011, excited to finish the 100K again, a good long training run before next weekend’s Canadian Death Race in Northern Alberta, Canada and other fall races coming up.

Two of Sarah’s siblings were in town this week from New York, helping work on our house. Kind of at the last minute they all three decided to go with me up to Scandia, KS. We hit a bad thunderstorm near Concordia on the way. The clouds and storms were looking ominous before the start. When they got there they sat up a tent and, after I started running, they slept in the tent all night long, waking up just a few minutes before I finished the 40 miles.

Due to the thunderstorm and especially the lightning, the start was delayed about an hour and 20 minutes. When we first took off there was still plenty of awesome and scary lightning but it didn’t seem to be striking the ground anywhere close, mostly off to the east. I only heard one more rumble of thunder and felt a couple rain drops. Once the storm passed and winds died down, the stifling heat and humidity returned and the night was basically what was to be expected, with the exception of the mud. Yuck! About 6 of the 20 mile course was covered in mud, some of it with standing water and pretty gross.

My knees were really achy miles 5 – 15 and I didn’t like that but was running with a pack of people I know and was enjoying the talking and sharing stories. The legs felt better miles 25 – 35 than they did the first 25 which is weird but true. Mosquitoes were horrible in a couple places with no wind and standing water. I took the gravel and covered my legs with it to try to subside the itching. Didn’t really work. But some more rain that came in and running through the muddy standing water seemed to do the trick. We were running a solid 12 minute mile pace through 30. Around mile 30 I started feeling really nauseous. Couple times I thought I was going to through up. I think it was the mixture of the gels I was taking (approx 1 every 30-35 min) and the heat and who knows what else. I was running for the longest time with Laurie from Lawrence, who I’ve known through ultrarunning for several years now, and she had to stop for a couple minutes so I took the chance to walk one whole mile and down another gel and more water and electrolytes and within a few minutes I was feeling better. A mile or so down the road it was Laurie’s turn to feel awful and it took a while for that to go away. Eventually, we were both feeling fine or normal for the mileage but our pace had slowed a bit though was not terrible.

I decided not to carry a headlamp or a light of any kind because the other two years I carried one and never needed it/turned it on. Opps, that was dumb! I needed it a lot in the areas of mud, so I stuck close to people who had one, which was fine, but meant I needed to go their pace to be able to see. I’ll probably carry one again next year – and not use it.

Due to the delay of the start of the race by an hour and half, we got back to the school, with the end of 40 miles a little after 7:00 am which meant if I would have gone back out for the final 22 it would have taken 5+ hours and I would’ve finished afternoon or worse, in the heat. It was actually a pretty easy decision to stop at 40. Only 3 of the 15 starters finished the 100K. One of them is my friend Terry Rider and he finished around 3:00 pm and it was 106 degrees. (Terry is actually the only person in Lunar Trek history to finish all 3 100Ks!) I felt better and better about not going back out as I was riding back to Wichita, getting home before noon to take a nap!

I was pleased with the 40 miles and was only minimally sore the next day. I had fun running with my Lawrence Trailhawk friends and am excited for the upcoming fall races.

Lunar Trek race directors are incredibly friendly and hospitable and the whole thing is just one of my many favorites. I can’t wait to go back next year on Friday night, July, 27th and conquer the 100K once again. I might need someone to go with me and drive home… :)

Right Here Right Now

2011-06-21T10:17:00.003-05:00

Right Here Right Now: Everyday Mission for Everyday People

By Alan Hirsch & Lance Ford

Apostolic Mission (e.g. Church Planting) + Mission of the People of God (MPOG, Agents in Every Sphere = Transformational Jesus Movement. 32

Church is not simply a building or a formal community meeting, it is who we are—a people who have been formed out of a direct encounter with God in Jesus Christ. If this is true, then general practice in church planting, which simply amounts to “service planting,” actually activates only once side of the movement equation—namely, apostolic mission—but it leaves the MPOG (Mission of the People of God) undervalued and almost totally passive and unengaged. This is a fatal error. 33

Embodiment (the capacity to actually integrate and live out the teachings and message of Jesus) is critical to transmission (the capacity to transfer the message through relationships). 34

In order to take missionality seriously, you have to take culture seriously…You simply have to assume that, in Western contexts, all communication of the gospel, let alone church planting and mission, is now cross-cultural. 39

One of the most basic assumptions of the incarnational missionary is to assume God is already involved in every person’s life and is calling them to himself through his Son. Out mindset should not be the prevalent one of taking God with us wherever we go. It must be, instead, that we join God in his mission. 42

We live as if there is an insurmountable difference between the “sacred” and the “secular.” But if Jesus is Lord of all life, there is no such distinction. 47

Just like a local gang, we should have a “turf”…You should live where you want to serve. You should be able to bump into the tribe in the local shops and supermarket. This allows for what I call three practices of incarnational engagement: proximity, frequency, and spontaneity. 49-50

It is impossible to be a missional church if we fail to be a missional people. Otherwise, missionality is reduced to sponsored programs that centralize the life of the body of Christ, institutionalizing and containing it in church systems and programs that view mission as something that happens “over there” or at special events. 65

The reality of our situation is that Christendom has been in decline for the last 250 years. This is what the term post-Christendom means. Society…is “over” Christendom. The problem for man Christians and church leaders is that we have not come to grips with this fact. We fight for prayers and the Ten Commandments…because we think Christianity is the dominant civil religion and ought to be so. In other words, we still think of the church and its mission in terms of Christendom, while in reality we are in a post-Christendom context. 74

When I hear someone say, “Five people gave their lives to the Lord in our meeting last night,” I bristle. I want to ask, “How do you know they gave their lives to the Lord?” You can’t know that until some degree of time goes by. 77

Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don’t miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out. Colossians 4:5-6, Message

John Wimber was known for holding a Bible up and saying, “This is the menu, folks…it ain’t the meal.”…When we mix the Word of God with real feet-to-the-pavement living, we can experience a kingdom feast every day and invite others to join us at that table. Until we let that happen, the words of the Bible remain as dormant as garden seeds left in their original envelope. The words just languish as possibilities, ideas, and options. 102 Again, the menu isn’t the meal. Studyin the menu will not provide nourishment nor curb hunger. 117

The pursuit of happiness has left a trail of tears on many fronts. 127

For too long, church culture has steamed down the channel of self-centeredness and away from community building and societal transformation. We need a radical reformation of leadership that preaches, models, and leads with a message that stirs us away from the trending ascendance of personal ambition. 129

When at all costs we hold the nuclear family and middle-class concepts at the pinnacle of our priorities, we become dull and blind to the injustices around us. Family ideals and the American Dream hold loyalty over and above the initiative of the kingdom of God and the justice and mercy it calls for. The presumptive “if you believe it, you can become it” notion causes many in the middle class to dismiss their obligation to those who are homeless or to interpret the plight of the poor as reaping a harvest from their own lazy lack of initiative. That is, at least, until the middle class themselves become the unemployed as has occurred in the recent economic crash—then it’s someone else’s fault. 132

Individualism and our desire for comfort and privacy choke out the Word and our missional imagination along with it, nullifying our effectiveness as agents of the kingdom of God. 132

We must make up our minds that we will disentangle ourselves from the suffocating weight that comes with living and overly consumptive lifestyle. We make a choice to break free in order to live redemptively. 144

We need both a radically lean way of living by some disciples and an elaborate abundance shared by others…We need people who are called to a radical simplicity of lifestyle, to remind the rest of us that we don’t need what we think…We need communities of Christians willing to commit themselves to support each other in risky, venturesome ways, to goad the rest of us out of our autonomy. We need Christians willing to resist the many ways in which the dominant in our world crush the weak. We need Christians who find thousand joyful ways to take the screwed-up values of this world and turn them upside down. 147

For authentic community to marinate, we need a mix of people with various skills and interests coming together and rubbing off on one another. Silo living breeds social disintegration. It fosters a life that segregates our relationships with others and limits intermingling among the people in our differing silos. 164

A sanctified imagination is a powerful missional tool. 191

Shared adventures are like glue to relationships, and there really is adventure to be had, if we will open our eyes and ears to see the needs right under our noses. 193

People should be able to experience a foretaste of heaven from our families and our homes…Missional hospitality is a tremendous opportunity to extend the kingdom of God. We can literally eat our way into the kingdom of God. 203

Too often, the largest portions of our time, resources, finances, and manpower go into one basket—weekend services…In short, our actions say that what we do inside the building is more important than what we do outside the building. 217

Contrary to what we might think, Jesus shows us that meeting needs is not the starting point for incarnational mission. 225

Truth is, we have all drunk so deeply from the institutional wells of Christianity that it is hard to think of ourselves differently. 236

We certainly need to think of the church more as an exponential people movement involving all of God’s people and not an institution run by religious professionals offering different brands of religious goods and services. 238

The traditional marks of the church that stemmed from the reformation are woefully inadequate to equip the contemporary Western church to deal with the bewildering missionary challenge we face. 239

We are all deeply scripted to believe that we must bring people to our church, and so we seldom take into account the cultural dynamics inherent in that equation. But it’s all about culture. Our church has a distinct culture, as do the people we are hoping to reach! …all mission in Western settings now should be considered a cross-cultural enterprise. 251

Attractional evangelism in missionary contexts results in extracting them from their previous relationships and cultural context. 251

Attractional forms of church in missionary contexts eventually are self-defeating because the church quickly exhausts its suppy of relationships and because the new converts quickly become a cultural clique or religious ghetto increasingly marginalized from the original culture. 252

Planting Missional Churches

2011-06-21T10:16:00.003-05:00

Planting Missional Churches: Planting a Church That’s Biblically Sound and Reaching People in Culture by Ed Stetzer

I read Planting Missional Churches way back in February – actually on the plane on the way to and from Bangladesh. It’s 372 pages and I have never read a book of that length in literally two sittings. It is an excellent expose on church planting as a whole by one of the church planting godfather gurus. I recommend this book as a basic primer for church planting, though I might add others to that same list as ‘required reading’ for church planting, maybe even a little bit higher up on the list. The funny thing is how fast things change in culture and church culture to be specific, though, in a lot of contexts you wouldn’t know it. This book was written in 2006 and the trends are already changing so much.

The one biggest thing I take a way from Planting Missional Churches is the call for church planting to take a missiological posture. I believe this is what is missing from most attempts at ‘outreach’ – an ignorance or obliviousness to the context. Just like we would do on the “to the ends of the earth” mission fields, like learning the language, culture, customs, etc., we must have a posture of entering into a culture and speaking the language to allow our message to be truly understood and embraced. This books help to not only establish the need for contextualization but helps to set the stage for emerging culture 101 of North America.

Some of my favorite quotes from the text:

Establishing a missional church means that you plant a church that’s part of the culture you’re seeking to reach. 1

Today’s church planters should be: missional, incarnational, theological, ecclesiological, and spiritual. 3

Church planters are by nature entrepreneurs, mavericks, free spirits, sometimes even misfits… 3

In 2004, the latest year available, there are 11 churches for every 10,000 Americans. 9

With the increased professionalization (education) of the clergy, church planting has suffered. 9

The U.S. is the fifth largest mission field on earth. 13

Eighty to 85 percent of American churches are on the downside of their life cycle. 13

Our churches are dying, and our culture is changing. We know new churches can make a difference. Church planting is not easy, but without it the church will continue to decline in North America. 14

The end of Christendom allows the church to recognize that the gospel is distinct from Western culture. So the gospel must be addressed in fresh ways to the ever-changing population that’s disassociated itself from the “pseudo-Christian” roots…The new challenge is to bring the gospel to Western culture, including right here in North America, since it’s become so resistant to the gospel. 19

High content (being biblically sound) and high culture (being culturally relevant) aren’t mutually exclusive. 21

If anything, the church should err on the side of becoming futurists (rather than historians) in regard to culture. 23

The reformers expressed that as eccelsia simper reformada, the church always reforming. It would never arrive. That remains true today. As the culture changes, the church is compelled to change. 31

Biblical Basis of Church Planting: John 20:21; Luke 19:10; Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 1:23. 37-52

Churches need biblical eccesiology that enables them to function with efficiency and integrity. 90

Effective church planting is missionary work. 115

A key to ministry in the new era will be the creation of multiethnic faith communities that reflect the demographic makeup of their population. 123

Understanding postmodernity: denial of personal objectivity, uncertainty of knowledge, death of any all-inclusive explanation, the denial of the inherent goodness of knowledge, the rejection of progress, the surpremacy of community-based knowledge, and the disbelief in objective inquiry. 130

Church planters…embracing church planting as a way of life rather than a strategy…Rather than starting with a prescribed vision of what the church will look like (most good church planters spell this out in a vision prospectus or fund-raising proposal), proponents of this new way of planting churches (Missional/Incarnational) let their incarnation of Christ drive the mission in their community and beyond; and the church emerges out of that journey. 161

If church planting is missionary work, then the church planters and the planting team should think like missionaries in planning worship music. Leaders should choose the music based on the context. Music should be missiological (“like a missionary”) and serviceable in the context. 266

Gilead, Marilynne Robinson

2011-06-04T20:52:00.007-05:00

I haven't loved a book in quite some time as much as I loved Gilead, a Pulitzer-winning book written by Marilynne Robinson. It is the reflection of an elderly and dying father and small town preacher, written to a young son borne to him in his old age. He records the stories and insights that he would have shared with his son if he had been given the opportunity to know his son in his adulthood. The art of the book is outstanding and the tidbits of wisdom scattered through his stories are quite powerful. Some of these are shared below. - Sarah

"This is an important thing, which I have told many people, and which my father told me, and which his father told him. When you encounter another person, when you have dealings with anyone at all, it is as if a question is being put to you. So you must think, What is the Lord asking of me in this moment, in this situation? If you confront insult or antagonism your first impulse will be to respond in kind. But if you think, as it were, This is an emissary sent from the Lord, and some benefit is intended for me, first of all the occasion to demonstrate my faithfulness, the chance to show that if I do in some small degree participate in the grace that saved me, you are free to act otherwise than as circumstances would seem to dictate."

"I believe the Fifth Commandment belongs in the first tablet, among the laws that describe right worship, because right worship is right perception, and here the Scripture commands right perception of people you have a real and deep knowledge of."

"The article is called "God and the American People," and it says 95% of us say we believe in God. But our religion doesn't meet the writer's standards, not at all. To his mind, all those people in all those churches are the scribes and the Pharisees. He seems to me to be a bit of a scribe himself, scorning and rebuking the way he does. How do you tell a scribe from a prophet, which is what he clearly takes himself to be? The prophets love the people they chastise, a thing this writer does not appear to me to do."

"There are certain attributes our faith assigns to God: omniscience, omnipotence, justice and grace. We human beings have such a slight acquaintance with power and knowledge, so little conception of justice and so slight a capacity for grace, that the workings of these great attributes together is a mystery we cannot hope to penetrate."

"I have often felt that my failing the truth could have no bearing at all on the Truth itself, which could never conceivably be in any sense dependent on me or on anyone."

"I have had a certain amount of experience with skepticism and the conversation it generates, and there is an inevitable futility in it. It is even destructive. Young people from my own flock have come home with a copy of La Nausee or L'Immoraliste, flummoxed by the possibility of unbelief, when I must have told them a thousand times that unbelief is possible. And they are attracted to it by the very books that tell them what a misery it is. And they want me to defend religion, and they want me to give them "proofs." I just won't do it. It only confirms them in their skepticism. Because nothing true can be said about God from a posture of defense."

"There is no justice in love, no proportion in it, and there need not be, because in any specific instance it is only a glimpse or parable of an embracing, incomprehensible reality. It makes no sense at all because it is the eternal breaking in on the temporal."

"Theologians talk about a prevenient grace that precedes grace itself and allows us to accept it. I think there must also be a prevenient courage that allows us to be brave - that is, to acknowledge that there is more beauty than our eyes can bear, that precious things have been put into our hands and to do nothing to honor them is great harm. And therefore, this courage allows us, as the old men said, to make ourselves useful."

"I believe that the old man did indeed have far too narrow an idea of what a vision might be. He may, so to speak, have been too dazzled by the great light of his experience to realize that an impressive sun shines on us all. Sometimes the visionary aspect of any particular day comes to you in the memory of it, or it opens to you over time. I believe there are visions that come to us only in memory, in retrospect."

Happiness Is...

2011-06-03T19:24:00.001-05:00

...camping with my two sisters in the Adirondack Mountains for four days!

LOVE WINS

2011-05-27T11:14:00.001-05:00

LOVE WINS: A book about heaven, hell, and the fate of every person who ever lived.

by Rob Bell

This book has been the source of so much controversy. All the wild-eyed critics (and some of the really trustworthy ones as well) did a great job of making me want to purchase and read it as soon as possible after being released! J

I have enjoyed reading and studying up on the difficult topic of “hell” in the past and find this book consistent with many of the books and mainline perspectivies I have read before including Brian McLaren’s The Last Word and the Word After That and C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce. My conclusion is still that I don’t know what I believe about hell! But I also am convinced that Rob Bell is not a heretic as there is nothing in this book that is too different than what the hero of the modern Christian apologetic C.S. Lewis teaches. Varied conclusions about theological perspectives are certainly fair, but throwing stones and labeling heresy is not fair this time.

Another thing to consider from my perspective…I don’t think this book should be taken too seriously. Or at least definitely not in the way many are taking it – as if it were an attempt at a theological textbook. “Love Wins” is more like prose or poetry or ramblings and questions from a thinking heart. It’s just Rob Bell’s style. This is his attempt to paint the picture of what the Gospel truly is all about – the love of God.

Finally, the reason why I loved reading the book and would recommend it to others is that Bell puts into writing the very questions I have asked and wrestled with and stewed over all my life about “heaven, hell, and the fate of every person who ever lived”. Perhaps he asks the questions better than some say he answers them, but I give him credit for asking them. I guess it makes me feel like I am not alone in questioning what everyone else around me says. I also love the tone of the book that ultimately God is still God and he can do whatever he pleases, but in the end we can cling to the hope and promise of the gospel that “Love Wins”.

AND

2011-05-27T09:10:00.004-05:00

The book AND is lighting a fire under many of my friends, colleagues, and fellow leaders at Crossroads Friends Church. It’s sort of starting a revolution of passion and re-commitment to the core of the ministry we feel called to.

Some of my favorite quotes and concepts:

Context should stop you in your tracks on a regular basis and propel you to find out every little detail you can about a person, avoiding assumptions or preconceived notions about what they want or are looking for….So how does a missionary get the context? We do it by becoming friends with people. 55

Engaging culture isn’t as much about doing evangelism as it is incarnating the presence of Christ in every relationship we form. 58

…Missionaries start the discipleship process much sooner…I internally believe that I’m now in a relationship where they are going to be watching my life, picking up on my values, and giving me opportunities to encourage them toward my way of life. In other words, early in the engaging culture process, discipleship and conversion begin. When Jesus called the first discples and actually begin his discipleship process, they weren’t exactly going to church as we commonly conceive it… Their process of conversion was simultaneous to their process of discipleship. 62

If you want your existing church to successfully engage the culture, you don’t begin by telling your people to engage and then bring ‘em to church. You must start by creating a new environment for them that provides a better way to witness to the culture and is the best way to see the kingdom lived out in concrete ways. The incarnational community that forms can then go out together and will eventually form the bridge between your cultural engagement with the world and the corporate structure of the church. 66

A consumer is not a disciple and a disciple is not a consumer! 75

People don’t need most of the stuff we give them. In fact, there seems to be a direct correlation between providing too much and the immaturity that develops when people are given the chance to overindulge. 81

God knows that fifty committed apprentices will out-serve, out-love, out-sacrifice, and out-faithful two thousand fans, but along the way you will take hits and you will start to wonder if things wouldn’t be easier if you could just provide church services for people. 87

Pastoring is as much about protecting the flock as it is about growing a flock. It’s about pushing them and challenging them instead of pandering to them. Ultimately, it’s time for leaders to be consumed in a struggle against consumerism. 88-89

It’s alarming how many churches act as though people will just become like Jesus through osmosis or through a sermon they heard…stop assuming people will just grow without an actual process. They won’t. 97

Jesus raised the bar on the front end and lowered it once he had the hearts of the people. 118

Keep in mind, however, that both sides of the missional movement (modalic and sodalic) have significant tension. The grass really is not greener on the other side! If God calls you to stay and serve the existing church, then serve! If God calls you to take a risk and start new works, then do it! But never make the mistake of thinking that one calling is better than another. Both are necessary for God’s balanced church to emerge. 148

The last forty years of Sunday services, biblical sermons, safe childcare, affinity-based small groups, and programs to fit any need are not producing a strain of Christians that have significantly changed the culture. 162

God’s people have sometimes had to struggle through questions of where to gather, how to gather, and what to do when they gather. The “church service” as we know it today is not a God-ordained “must have”. 169

People get weary of church services when they realize that their participation isn’t necessary for it to continue. 172

Yes, singing together is still a meaningful experience for a large section of the existing church population, but you’ll find that as your church reaches deeper and deeper into the culture, this experience will be perceived as weird for some and nice for others, but surely not the most important reason they gather in a church service. Use this as an opportunity to expand their understanding of worship forms as well as ways of participating in worship as a lifestyle. 183

The gathering should not pander to consumeristic tendencies but should be a place to call people into a bigger story of giving their life away…The gathering should be the most pliable, flexible, and adjustable aspect of the church…Gather in a way that makes them want to GO. 185-188

The church is beautiful when she is sent, and the sent church will always be beautiful when she gathers in a way that highlights and complements her sending nature. 188

If spiritual leadership is anything, it is a journey of death and a journey to death. One journey is an inward dying to ourselves, our concerns, our ambitions, and our pride, and the other is a preparation for our actual, physical death, where the only thing that matters is what we’ve left to those who will follow us. 205

Hawk Marathon

2011-05-17T17:27:00.003-05:00

The Lawrence Trailhawks put on their second annual 50 mile/Marathon trail run on the North Shore trails of Clinton Lake. Last year I really wanted to run the 50 but I had already registered for Fargo Marathon that day. I had been looking forward to running this event all year. This is honestly one of my favorite places to run in all of Kansas! These trails are in incredible shape and there is really no mud to speak of. This year the event was held on honestly one of the most incredible running days of the year – the perfect conditions of cloudy, strong north breeze, and unseasonably cool for May. I loved every second of it! My marathon finish time was 5:17 but I have to admit (though I have never done anything like this before) that included nearly 18 minutes of 'talking' at one of the aid stations...

Due to the fact that I had run a marathon, 50 miler, or 100K just about every weekend for the last 8 weeks, I decided to just run the marathon so that I could spend some quality Saturday time with Sarah before returning home. I hadn't really decided that I was going to do that for sure until ¾ the way through the first loop so I had to technically 'drop down' to the marathon, though thankfully I was still given an official marathon finish. Leaving the course after only completing the marathon was psychologically difficult for me – kind of like being the first to leave a really fun party!

I only wiped out once during the 26.2 but landed on my water bottle actually so it didn't hurt too much. I loved the course and the extra hills added in to increase the mileage and all the generous aid-stations and the really friendly Lawrence Trailhawks everywhere you looked! I enjoyed meeting a few new runners and running with some old ones as well, including running with Danny Miller most of the first lap. I was basically not sore at all when it was over and looking forward to participating in another Hawk event in the future.

Spring Welcomes Us to Our New Home!

2011-05-08T22:06:00.001-05:00

When Helping Hurts

2011-05-03T12:23:00.002-05:00

When Helping Hurts: How To Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting The Poor And Yourself
By Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert

I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone interested in truly helping and making a difference in the lives of people affected by one of the manifestations of poverty. It is a very thorough, fair, honest, and at times uncomfortable and very challenging summary of what it means to help someone/a community and how by trying to help you often hurt them and yourself. This doesn't have to be the case. There is another way. This is such good news. But it's not easy and takes a very intentional process. One of my favorite books related to missiology and a 'must-read' for Mission Team and Outreach Team members and really anyone longing to make a sustaining difference. The following will be a long list of some of my favorite, and I believe most helpful, quotes and concepts, mostly verbatim:

Personal piety and formal worship are essential to the Christian life, but they must lead to lives that "act justly and love mercy" (Micah 6:8). 41

The evangelical church's retreat from poverty alleviation was fundamentally due to shifts in theology and not—as many have asserted—to government programs that drove the church away from ministry to the poor. While the rise of government programs may have exacerbated the church's retreat, they were not the primary cause. 45

Table 2.1 p55
If we believe that primary cause of poverty is…then we will primarily try to…
A Lack of Knowledge                   Educate the Poor
Oppression by Powerful People    Work for Social Justice
The personal sins of the poor        Evangelize and disciple the poor
A lack of material resources          give material resources to the poor

3 Relationship Factors into a holistic life: Relationship with God, Self, Others, and with the Rest of Creation. Poverty exists when any one of these three is broken. 57-58

Poverty is the result of relationships that do not work, that are not just, that are not for life, that are not harmonious or enjoyable. Poverty is the absence of shalom in all its meanings. 62

Until we embrace our mutual brokenness, our work with low-income people is likely to do more harm than good. 64

The economically rich often have "god-complexes," a subtle and unconscious sense of superiority. 65

Very central point: one of the biggest problems in many poverty-alleviation efforts is that their design and implementation exacerbates the poverty of being of the economically rich—their god-complexes—and the poverty of being of the economically poor—their feelings of inferiority and shame. The way we act toward the economically poor often communicates—albeit unintentionally—that we are superior and they are inferior. In this process we hurt the poor and ourselves. 65

Poverty alleviation is the ministry of reconciliation: moving people closer to glorifying God by living in right relationship with God, with self, with others, and with the rest of creation. … Material poverty alleviation is working to reconcile the four foundational relationships so that people can fulfill their callings of glorifying God by working and supporting themselves and their families with the fruit of that work. 78

Caucasian evangelicals in the United States, for whom the systems have worked well, are particularly blind to the systemic causes of poverty and are quick to blame the poor for their plight. Evangelicals tend to believe that systemic arguments for poverty amount to shifting blame for personal sin and excusing moral failure. 93

A helpful first step in thinking about working with the poor in any context is to discern whether the situation calls for relief, rehabilitation, or development. The failure to distinguish among these situations is one of the most common reasons that poverty-alleviation efforts often do harm. 104-105

Relief: the urgent and temporary provision of emergency aid to reduce immediate suffering from a natural or man-made crisis; to stop the bleeding; ie the Good Samaritan.
Rehabilitation: seeking to restore people and their communities to the positive elements of their precrisis conditions; beings when the bleeding stops; key element is to work with the victim as they participate in their own recovery.
Development: the process of ongoing change that moves all the people involved—both the "helpers" and the "helped"—closer to being in right relationship with God, self, others and the rest of creation; not done to or for people but with people. 104-105

One of the biggest mistakes that North American churches make—by far—is in applying relief situations in which rehabilitation or development is the appropriate intervention. 105

It is helpful for your church or ministry to have a set of benevolence policies in place to guide decision making when working with materially poor people. These policies should flow from your mission and vision and be consistent with a biblical perspective on the nature of poverty and its alleviation. …the reality is that only a small percentage of the poor in your community or around the world require relief; …including the severely disabled, some of the elderly, very young, orphaned children, the mentally ill homeless population, and victims of a natural disaster. 108-109

Avoid paternalism. Do not do things for people that they can do for themselves. 115

Paternalism comes in a variety of forms: Resource Paternalism (pouring financial and other material resources in which the real need is for the local people to steward their own resources); Spiritual Paternalism (we do have much to share out of our knowledge and experiences, but oftentimes the materially poor have an even deeper walk with God and have insights and experiences that they can share with us, if we would just stop talking and listen); Knowledge Paternalism (when we assume that we have all the best ideas about how to do things); Labor Paternalism (occurs when we do work for people that they can do for themselves); Managerial Paternalism (our being prone to take charge, lead, 'produce', and "get something done") 115-119

Consider Assets-Based Community Development (ABCD)…which puts the emphasis on what the materially poor people already have and asks them to consider from the outset, "What is right with you? What gifts has God given you that you can use to improve your life and that of your neighbors? How can the individuals and organizations in your community work together to improve your community? VERSUS Needs-Based Community Development which focuses on what is lacking in the life of a community or person, asking the questions "What is wrong with you? How can I fix you?" 125-126

Poverty alleviation is about reconciling people's relationships, not about putting bandages over particular manifestations of the underlying brokenness. 128

Never lose sight of the goal: reconciling relationships is the essence of poverty alleviation. 130

The North American need for speed undermines the slow process needed for lasting and effective long-run development. 131

Participation is not just a means to an end but rather a legitimate end in its own right. 145

And while the STM team is in monchonic high gear, the receiving culture is in polychromic mode, working at a slower pace. Getting the job done is less important than being together and getting to know one another. This can quickly cause frustrations for the STM team members, as they watch the seconds tick away while little is getting "done". It is not long before many of us start to look down on our polychromic brothers and sisters, quickly deciding that they are inept or even lazy. And then the paternalism kicks in. We take over and do everything because otherwise it just won't get done, at least not before the two weeks is over, which would be a disaster from the perspective of many STM teams. 168

At a minimum, the principle of participation implies that the community, church, or organization that receives the STM team needs to be the primary entity deciding that should be done, as well as how it should be done. Even more importantly, they need to be the ones requesting the team. 171

Design the trip about "being" and "learning" as much as "doing". Stay in community members' homes and create time to talk and interact with them. Ask local believers to share their insights with team members about who God is and how He works in their lives… 175

Book Review: The 360 Leader

2011-05-02T20:09:00.001-05:00

Sometimes you just have "that book" that you don't finish for the longest time. You might start it and then start other books and get way more excited about the other books. I don't ever remember spreading the reading of another book out as long as this one, but, oh well. Late this past winter I finished the book by John Maxwell called "The 360 Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization". I found it to be a good book and had great concepts that I really benefited from for studying. Here are some of my favorite excerpts:

The reality is that 99 percent of all leadership occurs not from the top but from the middle of an organization. 1

Leadership is a choice you make, not a place you sit. 7

…as you move up the ladder, you may even find that the amount of responsibility you take on increases faster than the amount of authority you receive…in some ways leaders have less freedom as they move up, not more. 15

The greater your desire to receive credit and recognition, the more frustrated you are likely to become working in the middle of an organization. 29

Leaders don't like change any more than followers do—unless, of course, it's their idea! 65

If people disagree with the vision, it's often because they have a problem with the person who cast it…people buy into the leader, then the vision. 66

Leading isn't about controlling, it's about releasing. Good leaders give their power away. They look for good people, and then invest in them to the point where they can be released and empowered to perform. 117

If you don't put in the work, you always eventually get found out. 130

The next time you are in a meeting with your boss, pay attention to the way you handle the presentation of your point of view. Do you state it clearly as a contribution to the discussion? Or do you hammer away at it to try to "win"? Trying to win your point at all costs with your boss can be like trying to do the same with your spouse. Even if you win, you lose. 141

Don't let a great idea get rained on because you picked the wrong day to introduce it. 142

By making yourself better, you make others better. 156

Few things increase the credibility of leaders more than adding value to the people around them. 165

If you want to influence your peers, become their cheerleaders. 166

It's been said that great people talk about ideas, average people talk about themselves, and small people talk about others. That's what gossip does. It makes people small. 183

A bulldog can beat a skunk in a fight anytime, but he knows it's just not worth it. That's also the attitude of 360-Degree Leaders. 184

One of the worst things leaders can do is expend energy on trying to make others think they're perfect…It's a crock…we need to quit pretending. People who are real, who are genunine concerning their weaknesses as well as their strengths, draw others to them. They engender trust. They are approachable…" 206

The people who work alongside you know your weaknesses, faults, and blind spots. If you doubt that—and you have great courage—just ask them!...When you make mistakes, admit them and quickly ask for forgiveness. Nothing is more disarming, and nothing does a better job of clearing the decks relationally. 207

Relationship building is always the foundation of effective leadership. Leaders who ignore the relational aspect of leadership tend to rely on their position instead. 213

Leaders who tend only to business often end up losing the people and the business. 218

The teacher who browbeats you and tells you how ignorant or undisciplined you are isn't the one who inspires you to learn and grow. It's the one who thinks you're wonderful and tells you so. 220

Experience alone isn't a good enough teacher—evaluated experience is. 235

“Good” and “Evil”

2011-05-02T16:32:00.001-05:00

"The line between good and evil is not drawn between nations and parties but through every human heart." -Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Lincoln Marathon

2011-05-02T12:10:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was my 26^th marathon in my 14^th state. I was the pacer for the 3:55 group at the Lincoln Marathon in Nebraska. It was a really nice day and a really fun course with lots of really friendly and grateful people. My time according to the website was 3:54:19. I was following a very intentional strategy to finish just under 3:55. I felt good about the finishing time and especially all of the people who met their goals in the group that I was leading. I had a group of several dozen sticking with me through the half marathon split off and then it went to around 15 or so through 20 miles and then 8 or so that stuck with me all the way to mile 25 when they felt confident to go ahead and finish strong. Four of the most memorable people I ran with included a first time Boston qualifier, a 1^st time sub 4 hour marathon on her 8^th marathon, a first time marathoner and an older gentleman who finished 30 seconds behind me for his first sub 3:55 finish as well. It was a huge event with, according to what I heard, 11,000 in the half and full altogether. The finish line was on the 50 yard line of the Tom Osborne Stadium on the University of Nebraska Campus in Lincoln.

Free State 100K

2011-04-26T11:20:00.004-05:00

Saturday, April 23^rd, was the annual Free State 100K trail race. This is my fourth consecutive year to participate. I have always loved this race and the course, despite the humidity and usual incredibly awful mud. However, this year was just perfect. The temperature started and ended in the upper 40s with a north breeze and never got too much above 60 with a good north breeze. Low humidity, dry air, cloud cover most of the day. A couple of sprinkles in the afternoon but not enough to make things slick. My shoes were actually cleaner at the end of the race than the beginning! It was honestly just a perfect day to run and the most ideal conditions possible and was the kind of day that makes ultra-running "fun". Well…kinda!

The first loop I finished in about 3:45, intentionally taking it slow to save energy for the second two loops. Second loop was only about 20 minutes longer than the first which was pretty much right where I wanted to be. Honestly miles 22-28ish were my lowest point of the day – maybe the warmest part of the day. I never felt terrible but I could've felt better during those miles and I kept groaning how it was going to be a long day but I was soon to snap out of it and I played great mental tricks to go from section to section to the end. I left the aid station in 8:10 to start the third loop realizing that if I really hurried I could break 13 hours, which was my goal for the day.

I really felt like I ran very well my third loop. I never had prolonged period of walking. I always ran the flats and downhills. I maintained a consistent pace and never spent too much time at any aidstation. I had gels and electrolytes every 30 minutes or so and towards the end of the day more grazing from the food on the table. I never fell, only tripped up a couple of times actually and only rolled my ankle once (like mile 3 which is ridiculous) but the pain went away within a mile or so. I hated the shoreline section exponentially more each loop and loved some of the course alterations they had made which, to me, made things go by so much faster. I loved the quarter mile of pavement for some awesome downhill running. No complaints from me!

I made lots of new friends on the course. The funny thing is I still feel new to ultra-running but people are now asking me all sorts of advice. So, I share what I know and what's worked for me and I enjoy encouraging others along the way. I met up running with Zach Adams from SE KS just a few miles in and we ran all the way together until about 4 miles left. At that point something clicked inside me and I just couldn't hold back any longer. I flew to the finish, arriving before dark, never having to use my light. I did the last 3.5 miles in about 35 minutes which meant I was holding a 10 min per mile pace on miles 60-62. I was pretty happy with that!

After it was over I got cold fast, ate some soup, and fell asleep in the car! Sore the next day but no pain or limping. I've trained really, really hard this winter and spring so I'm thrilled with the 13:01 finish. Next year I'll knock off the minute and hopefully an hour.

Free State Trail Run is a very classy event with awesome organization, awesome aid-stations, and just an incredible atmosphere. You couldn't ask for better? If you get lost or run out of water on this course, there is really no excuse. 2011 100K Results.

2010 Free State 100K Report
2009 Free State 40-mile Report
2008 Free State 100K Report

EntreLeadership Seminar with Dave Ramsey

2011-04-19T15:07:00.001-05:00

Over the last several years I have become a very big fan of Dave Ramsey and especially his "Financial Peace University" 16-week course for personal/family financial planning. Dave Ramsey is a personal money-management expert, a popular radio personality (I enjoy his show when I get a chance to listen) and author of several books you may have heard of: The Total Money Makeover, Financial Peace, and More Than Enough. Dave Ramsey is very outspoken (read: "loud-mouthed" and obnoxious!) on a lot of things like politics and elections and the government and pretty much just says whatever comes to his mind. I don't always agree with everything he ever says and teaches but I really respect most of his core teachings and fundamental principles. I even subscribe to text message notifications of his Tweets!

On April 1^st, Crossroads Friends Church Lead Pastor David Norman and I attended his "EntreLeadership" 1-day simulcast seminar. The basic premise is that we don't need just leaders anymore but entrepreneurial leaders, or entreleaders as Ramsey calls them. The concepts and material covered in the seminar will be similar to his new book that he'll be releasing in September. Anyway, it was all really good stuff and some of it was very challenging.

I just wanted to include a few highlight of his quotes and concepts:

organizations are never limited by their opportunity or their team; they are limited by their leader.
dreams only become reality when they become your vision. Vision that is ready to go to work is called a goal. Goals convert into energy. Goals that work must be specific, measurable, yours, have a time limit and be in writing.
"to ever accomplish anything in life you will need to be temporarily out of balance. Think over the scope of 1-2 years when you think of balance, not necessarily every day. Think "ebb and flow". The myth of the perfectly balanced day is a bunch of crap."
the borrower is always slave to the lender. Even in business! Borrowed money drastically increases risks. Borrowed money magnifies mistakes. Borrowed money hurts or even destroys cash flow.
the three most important traits in a leader are 1. Integrity, 2. Work ethic, and 3. Coachable
Ramsey says to his employees: "your raise is effective when you are".
a good reprimand is short, uncomfortable for everyone, where the problem is being attacked – not the person, private, and gentle.
"Sanctioned incompetence demoralizes." –John Maxwell
indecision is caused by one thing: fear.
take time (to make decision) proportionate to the impact of the decision; the larger the impact of the decision, the more time you take.
Options give you power!
90% of making the correct decision is gathering information.
don't let your principles change, but frequently change your processes. If not then you become a bureaucrat! Shoot the blasted sacred cow!
an expert is someone who has done it lately, not someone who has an opinion!

Oz Marathon 2011

2011-04-16T18:03:00.004-05:00

I ran the Oz Marathon this morning in Olathe, KS. This was my first time ever to serve as a co-pace group leader at a marathon. We were assigned the 3:50 team and we brought it home. My watch said 3:49:18 when I crossed the finish line. Only about 40 seconds too fast! It really was a blast getting to serve as a pacer. Encouraging others to meet their goals was very fulfilling and pretty exciting. We had a pretty big group in behind us the first 10 miles or so and then they just started to fade (not without prodding and encouragement though) although some actually went on ahead of us, which was great. We helped a woman qualify for Boston for the first time by just a few seconds and coached several first timers into their excellent marathon finish. I actually had to carry a two foot light-weighted stick with a 3:50 banner on top the whole way. It was way easier to do that than I thought it would be.

It was a cold and windy start with temps at like 37 and winds out of the north at least 20mph or more. A couple hours later it did warm up a bit and the wind did back off a bit but it was still really cool for mid-April and a very welcome chance to wear long sleeve shirt and gloves through the whole marathon. And that's after three races in the last month that were so, so hot - even up to 90!

I had run Olathe once before in 2008 and I really loved the course this year so much more than the old course. It really was pretty fun with a mixture of just about everything from suburbia, to residential neighborhoods, to a paved trail for the last half of the race.

My co-pacer was Marla from Topeka, a veteran marathoner and very accomplished runner. We had a really fun time getting acquainted.

Sarah ran the half marathon in Olathe as well. It was called the Wickedly Fast Half Marathon. She finished in 2 hours and 22 minutes. She was really excited to run the entire distance without walking a step and was very pleased with her finish time. She thinks this Kansas weather is crazy, though.

Marathon/Ultra Archive 2011 Update

2011-04-11T18:10:00.010-05:00

Just like to keep my list up-to-date once a year. Still shooting for 100 Marathons & Ultras before age 30 and all 50 states perhaps sometime before 40.

Marathons

Wichita Marathon October 2003
Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon April 2004
Dallas White Rock Marathon December 2004
Chicago Marathon October 2005
New York City Marathon November 2006
Oklahoma Marathon (Tulsa) November 2006
Salt Lake City Marathon April 2007
Andy Payne Memorial Marathon (OKC) May 2007
Heart of America Marathon (Columbia, Missouri) September 2007
Marine Corps Marathon (Washington D.C.) October 2007
St. Jude Marathon (Memphis, Tennessee) December 2007
Olathe Marathon (KS) March 2008
Mountain Home Marathon (Arkansas) November 2008
Thunder Road Marathon (Charlotte, NC) December 2008
Rockin' K Marathon April 2009
Salt Lake City Marathon April 2009
Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon April 2009
Los Angeles Marathon May 2009
Kansas City Marathon October 2009
Eisenhower (Abilene, KS) Marathon April 2010
Fargo Marathon May 2010
Rock Creek Night Marathon July 2010 Trail Marathon PR of 5:10
Kansas City Marathon PR 3:27 October 2010
Eisenhower Marathon April 2011
Oz Marathon (Olathe, KS) April 2011
Lincoln (NE) Marathon May 2011
Hawk Marathon (trails, Clinton Lake, Lawnrence, KS) May 2011
Grizzly Marathon (Choteau, MT) July 2011
Kansas City Marathon October 2011
Des Moines, IA Marathon October 2011 (back-to-back)

30 marathons in 16 states as of 10/17/11

Ultra-marathons

Flatrock September 50K 2007
Psycho-Wyco Ice-Version 50K Februrary 2008
Cross Timbers 50-Mile (Texas) February 2008
Rockin' K 50-Mile April 2008
Free State 100K April 2008
Psycho-Wyco Fire-Version 50K July 2008
Lunar Trek 40 Mile July 2008
Leadville Trail 100 (DNF at 50 Mile) August 2008
Flatrock 50K September 2008
Heartland 100 Mile October 2008
Rock Creek 50K October 2008
Run for Missions 103.9 miles November 2008
One Hill at a Time 50K December 2008
Kansas Ultrarunners Society Members Only Flint Hills 50 mile March 2009
Free State 40 Mile April 2009
Lunar Trek 100K July 2009
Leadville Trail 100 (DNF at 50Kish) August 2009
Flatrock 50K September 2009
Heartland 100 Mile October 2009
Rock Creek 50K October 2009
Run for Missions 104.2 miles November 2009
One Hill at a Time 50K November 2009
Rockin' K 50 mile April 2010
Free State 100K April 2010
Moonlight Madness 50 Miler July 2010
Patriots' Run (53 miles) September 2010
Flatrock 50K September 2010
Heartland 100 October 2010 (PR 22:22)
Run for Missions 104.2 miles November 2010
Grasslands 50 mile (trail PR of 10:52) March 2011
Rockin' K 50 mile April 2011
Free State 100K (13:01) April 2011
Lunar Trek 40 Miles July 2011
Canadian Death Race 125K (DNF at about 45 miles) July 2011
Flatrock 50K September 2011
Heartland 100 October 2011

33 ultramarathons as of 10/11/11

Eisenhower Marathon 2011

2011-04-11T16:27:00.003-05:00

In 2010 I entered into the Eisenhower Marathon the afternoon before the race at the last possible second and went up there and PR'd on a beautifully cool and crisp morning. This year, I was hoping to do the same, registering for the race on Tuesday of the week of. But you gotta love Kansas weather! This year it was 80+ degrees, humid, extremely windy, and intensely hot all by 10 am on race morning. It hit 90 by afternoon. It really did feel like summer instead of early Spring.

I had hopes of setting another PR but after about 9 miles into the race I just couldn't quite hit my splits and I knew that the heat was only going to get worse so I backed off and tried to just have fun and coast into the finish. I drank at every aid station (just about every mile!) and filled my water bottle 5 times and drained it every time. It's a simple course, mostly on a highway, exposed to all of the elements of sun and wind.

A couple guys I know ran their first marathon there as well so after kind of recovering a bit in the shade and eating some pancakes I went back out on the course and ran with them back in the last little stretch.

The finish line and last mile looked more like a triage area with people collapsing and passing out due to the heat and dehydration. The ambulance went up and down the street staying real busy with marathon customers! I told a race official to call an ambulance for one lady at mile 25.5 because there was no way she could finish (vomiting and couldn't stand on her own two feet). Yikes!

My overall finish place in the Marathon was 37 (of 193) and my age group (males 25-29) finish place was 10 (of 18) and my official time was 3:51:34, which was 8:49/mile. This was my 6^th fastest marathon ever but one of the more miserable weather conditions I can remember.

After drinking water and cooling off and eating more food I was just fine with minimal soreness. I ran 8 miles Sunday morning and felt just fine.

Early Morning Good-bye

2011-04-03T17:11:00.003-05:00

Kissing Adam good-bye before the beginning of the 50-mile run! I would see him later since I volunteered at the Gate 6 aid station where Adam passed through four times!

Rockin' K 2011

2011-04-03T17:06:00.001-05:00

I finished the Rockin' K 50 mile trail run yesterday. It started out at really cold and I could barely grip my water bottles because my hands were freezing for the first 30 minutes. It didn't take long for that to change. When the sun came up I took off my long sleeve shirt and it just got warmer from there...

On the Bluff loop (somewhere around mile 16) I was running with three other people and we went off trail. Way off trail! I think we were at least a half mile off trail running along a fence line when suddenly the fence ended and so did our little trail. I knew the scenery didn't look familiar but it took a long time for it to register. We retraced our steps and got back on trail and it took me a really long time to catch up with the people that I was ahead of before that. Strangely enough, I went off trail 3 or 4 times this year and I don't ever remember dong that in the past.

Everyone always says that the Rockin' K course is "deceivingly tough". Now more than ever, I agree. It was a hard, hot, windy day. I struggled to stay hydrated and keep my stomach balanced enough to continue to process water and calories. The second loop I was joined again this year by my good running friend, Andy, as a pacer. He was very, very helpful and very encouraging and motivating.

Overall, I gave it my best. I didn't finish my "best" or even my "second" goal time but instead I just finished (which is always my third goal at any race)! Two weeks prior I ran a 50 mile trail race in an hour and 23 minutes faster in even hotter conditions. I never had any really long stretches of walking or wimping out too much, I just pushed ahead running as much as I possibly could and could only come up with a 12 hour and 15 minute finish. Of course, I was just happy to finish and consider myself ready for the next adventure! This is my third Rockin' K 50 mile finish (one DNF halfway through the second loop in 2009).

The End of A Long Haul

2011-04-03T15:48:00.003-05:00

Don't we all just need encouragement at the end of a long haul? I thought this clip captures the cheering that we all need whether we've run 50-miles or are just plain exhausted when the day is done. (By the way, I was pretty proud of my husband running uphill to the finish!)

Little Tent on the Prairie

2011-04-03T15:35:00.005-05:00

We got to use our new tent this weekend for the first time! We spent two nights at Kanopolis State Park in Kanopolis, KS this weekend - the first night was pretty frigid, but the second night was just absolutely perfect other than the 40 mph sustained winds! It was truly the type of night where you wake up in the morning so refreshed by the spring air and wonder why people ever buy houses.

On Discipline and Grace

2011-03-28T18:14:00.002-05:00

Speaking of my husband and preaching, he shared an awesome message recently at Barclay College on some of the lessons that have been near to us in the last three years. This message is also available online by clicking here.

Omniscience & The Great Whale

2011-03-28T17:12:00.004-05:00

Adam was able to preach on Sunday about the story of Jonah and God's omniscience for our Omni sermon series at Crossroads! He did a great job. You can even listen here!

The Silence of God, Andrew Peterson

2011-03-25T15:02:00.002-05:00

Isn't suffering so hard to understand? This song contains the most powerful lesson on suffering ever. Sometimes art can master with poetic truth what a linear argument can never master with logic.

Youth Group Spring Break Fun!

2011-03-25T14:43:00.003-05:00

Road Trip to Dallas!

2011-03-25T14:28:00.002-05:00

The day after our run through the grasslands we headed to Dallas and went to the Sixth Floor Museum which is a museum dedicated to the legacy of John F. Kennedy. The museum is located on the same floor of the building where Lee Harvey Oswald purportedly fired the fatal shot at the motorcade. We drove north from Dallas into Oklahoma and camped at the Ockashaw National Recreation Center and did some lake hiking!

Grasslands Trail Run 2011

2011-03-25T14:25:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine ran the Grasslands Trail Marathon last year and bragged all year long about how miserable it was in the mud and muck on a cold, windy, snowy/rainy day. I got tired of hearing him tell me about it so I signed up for 50 miler there this year!

The course is on the President LBJ National Grasslands near Decatur, TX (just 30 miles west of Denton off of I-35)(serviced by the US National Parks System). We drove down after work Friday and camped out 100 yards from the start/finish line in a really nice remote park and campground.

Sarah ran the half-marathon with an 8:30 start time. She said she was surprised by how much sand there was but had a nice time. As she finished she thought the distance was “just right” and was glad to be done because it was starting to get “hot”. She finished 189th – results here. The first time I saw her after my 7am start for the 50 mile was after about 30 miles and I still had 2 more loops to complete, one of 11 miles and the other of about 9. The 50 mile course consists of 5 major loops and one small 5 mile “correction” loop to start off with in the early morning before sunrise. I didn’t take a headlamp and just stayed behind someone who did and tried to step where they stepped etc until I could see which didn’t take more than 20 or so minutes. Each loop is a different color and the course is actually really well marked and really clear. A few times I wondered if I was off course but in the end I never really was.

Overall, I say Grasslands is much like the Rockin’ K course except a lot more sand and no bluff loop, meaning the ups and downs aren’t as bad. And no water crossings at all this year. My feet never got wet at Grasslands. It was the third Saturday in March and the temperatures climbed into the mid 80s. Felt like the mid 90s to me. By noon it crazy hot and my head was pounding and I was going through a little more than 2 bottles of water per hour. This was especially hot considering winter was just getting over.

As far as I’m concerned this is a race I want to do just once. But it’s not anything negative about the course, organization, or RD’s. They were all just great! The aid stations and volunteers and organization was all class act but the course was stinkin’ tough. I was really shooting for 10 hours and if I would’ve been tougher I still think I probably could have done it but I faded a bit in the end and finished in 10:50. Only 26 people finished and I finished 14th among them. I don’t know how many started but I’d guess 50% or more dropped out. 50 mile results here.

This was my first race of anything marathon or longer since the Run for Missions 2010 on November 1st. While I had a good break from racing, I did get some good winter training in and am ready to have a successful and fun April and May busy with running marathons and trail ultras.

My (Adam) conclusion: everyone should run Grasslands at least once!

Hope For A Brilliant Future

2011-03-17T12:53:00.002-05:00

There is no hope for a brilliant future in the Quaker (Friends) story without a conscious, deliberate, and sustained effort to enlist and to train ministry related to the peculiar needs of our time and therefore different from any of the stereotypes with which we have been familiar in the recent past. This will not be accomplished unless the fire gets much hotter than it now is. The encouraging fact is that Quakers have, inherent in their total philosophy, a conception of the ministry which the modern world is looking…

--D. Elton Trueblood,
The People Called Quakers

In the study of the history of missions, one can even be formulaic about asserting that all great missionary movements begin at the fringes of the church, among the poor and the marginalized, and seldom, if ever, at the center. It is vital that in pursuing missional modes of church, we get out of the stifling equilibrium of the center of our movements and denominations, move to the fringes, and engage in real mission there. But there’s more to it than just mission; most great movements of mission have inspired significant and related movements of renewal in the life of the church. It seems that when the church engages at the fringes, it almost always brings life to the center.
--Alan Hirsch
The Forgotten Ways

A great deal more failure is the result of an excess of caution than of bold experimentation with new ideas. The frontiers of the kingdom of God were never advanced by men and women of caution.
-J. Oswald Sanders

Bangladesh 2011

2011-03-06T16:22:00.003-06:00

“As they traveled from town to town…the churches were strengthened in the faith…they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them...Then they left.” Acts 16:4-5, 40

“When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.” Acts 11:23

Albert and Metali Adhikari are the EFM National Leaders in Bangladesh. They've been working with EFM since 2005. They are such effective and powerful leaders, and have facilitated a powerful work of God. Albert is extremely gifted in leadership and continues to lead a very effective and discerning strategic ministry.

Albert and Metali, who have two young boys—Steve and Edwin, and are committed like you can’t imagine to Christ, to the Gospel and to seeing the Kingdom of God advance through a church planting movement of Friends Churches all over Bangladesh. They are so, so faithful to the ministry God has called them to and live out faithfully the disturbing words of Jesus in Luke 14:26-27,33 so well! The testimony of Albert and many of the newly baptized Christians in Bangladesh reflects closely the story of the apostles in the book of Acts, especially chapter 5:
“the apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.” (5:41-42)

The 2011 prayer, encouragement, and exposure mission trip to Bangladesh was a great success! Team members consisted of Matt Macy, myself, Jana Mullen, Jeff Mullen, Eric Sallee and David Wells, all from Crossroads.

These trips are a lot like treasure hunts – we are constantly spiritually alert, looking and spiritually discerning “Where is God at work in Bangladesh?” so that we can celebrate it, announce it, affirm it and support it. We found so, so many treasures every day on this trip. There are so many new Christians and new churches popping up. With only a few exceptions, every church and ministry site we visited was different from the places we visited last year in 2010 (and different from where we went in 2009 as well). This means that they are hard at work in ministry and that the church is growing in exciting ways.

While we were there we presented gifts on behalf of Crossroads to two of the lead local churches in Bangladesh. We included framed 8 x 12 photos of Crossroads “sending their greetings”. The Bangladesh Christians send back their greetings! We also were able to hand-deliver greeting cards handmade by Crossroads Kids. The Bangladesh Kids will soon write back to our Crossroads Kids!

Our ministry consisted of Bible teachings, impromptu messages of encouragement and discipleship to people who are new Christians or who are newly exploring the Christian faith and know almost nothing about the Bible. We visited a dozen different villages, some with newly baptized Christians and some that are preaching points where the gospel was newly being shared. In every occasion, our ministry of presence and our words of testimony were an important encouragement to the Bangladeshi believers, many of whom have endured significant persecution for making their important decision to follow Christ. Each group we visited offered us very kind hospitality (tea and a snack, like a hard-boiled egg or crackers) and very eager to hear our words, demonstrating a spiritual hunger and eagerness to learn and grow. When you witness first hand the growth and work of the field, you learn how to pray with more intelligence and support with more compassion and hopefully to invite others to do the same.

The six of us on the team represented not only Crossroads and Mid America, but all of the Evangelical Friends Church. We were able to share in person that many, many people all around the world love and care about what happens in Bangladesh and that many Christians in our Friends Churches are praying for them – they are not alone!

There is something so special about our time there that has so much do with what God wants to do in our lives and our church back at home. I was so challenged yet again to be even more faithful to Gospel ministry in Wichita, KS! “Pray for me that I may declare the Gospel fearlessly.” (Eph. 6:19) This is my prayer for myself and for Albert & Metali Adhikari and the pastors and evangelists in Bangladesh.

Thanks for your faithfulness to send, support, and pray. Personally I am grateful and I believe whole-heartedly that the Church is blessed and advanced because of it!

Adam Monaghan

“But life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work of telling others the Good News about God’s mighty kindness and love.” Acts 20:24

Christ is Risen, Matt Maher

2011-02-13T16:13:00.004-06:00

Tonight, Rush of Fools

2011-02-10T15:08:00.000-06:00

Yearn, Shane & Shane

2011-02-10T14:58:00.001-06:00

Superbowl Four Miler!

2011-02-09T14:52:00.001-06:00

Adam and I had fun running the same race (our first combined race of the season!) in Wichita on Superbowl Sunday! It was only four miles, but it was a really fun distance! Adam is getting really fast these days - he placed 14 out of 184 with a time of 26:11! I came in 137th Place, but had a fun time and I always particularly love the last mile where my husband comes back to run the final portion of the race with me - that is my favorite! Adam is definitely an inspiring runner and makes it look so easy, even when it is really hard! Race results here.

Be at Rest, Steve Green

2011-02-09T14:45:00.000-06:00

Beautiful Things, Gungor

2011-02-01T14:13:00.002-06:00

Creating Stable Communities

2011-01-30T17:39:00.002-06:00

"What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured."~American Author Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Aslan, Kendall Payne

2011-01-27T19:52:00.000-06:00

Don't stop your crying on my account
A frightening lion, no doubt
He's not safe, no he's not safe
Are you tempted now to run away?
The King above all Kings is coming down
But He won't say the words you wish that he would
Oh, he don't do the deeds you know that He could
He won't think the thoughts you think He should
But He is good, He is good

I know you're thirsty, the water is free
But I should warn you, it costs everything
Well, He's not fair, no He's not fair
When He fixes what's beyond repair
And graces everyone that don't deserve
No one knows Him whom eyes never seen
No, I don't know Him but He knows me
He knows me, He knows me
Lay down your layers, shed off your skin
But without His incision, you can't enter in
He cuts deep, He cuts deep
When the risk is great and the talk is cheap
But never leaves a wounded one behind

Summit 2010

2011-01-09T17:40:00.003-06:00

Driving 28 hours to Colorado after our flights were cancelled! Jacob, Rebecca and Caleb were in the back seats!

Quick trip to Garden of the Gods!

Dinner with Dan Kimball (main event speaker at Summit) and friends!

80's night fun!

"D-Ferg" and the missionary rap!

Pre-Wedding Photos!

2011-01-09T17:34:00.001-06:00

New York Snow!

2011-01-09T17:27:00.002-06:00

New York got hit...

...with two feet of snow...

...the night and morning of Isaac & Allie's wedding!

This is what we woke up to - but the wedding went on as planned!

And inside the hearth fires kept burning!

Mind that Which is Eternal

2011-01-09T16:35:00.001-06:00

Mind that which is eternal, which gathers your hearts together up to the Lord, and lets you see that you are written in one another's hearts; meet together everywhere, growing up in the spirit to the Lord, the fountain of life, the head of all things, God blessed forever!

Do not let hard words trouble you nor fair speeches win you; but dwell in the power of truth, in the mighty God, and have salt in yourselves to savor all words, and to stand against all the wiles of the devil, in the mighty power of God. - George Fox (Letter 23)

Picture Postcard from Bentley Farm

2010-12-25T16:12:00.000-06:00

"I'm A Runner"

2010-12-22T18:03:00.001-06:00

Check out this hilarious video called "I'm a Runner". It pretty much says it all. Yep, I'm a runner.

December

2010-12-19T18:57:00.002-06:00

The month of December has been consumed with preparations for the Friends Summit 2010. It is going to be one awesome conference, gathering national Evangelical Friends Church young adults. Check it out: http://www.friendssummit.com/.

We've also been having lots of fun serving Crossroads Friends Church. Check out some of the most recent happenings and upcoming events here: http://www.crossroadswichita.com/.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-19T18:55:00.000-06:00

Christmas on Nims Street

2010-12-07T17:37:00.011-06:00

Well, my ever-efficient and very practical husband long ago decided that Christmas is not precisely his favorite holiday. So it was certainly perplexing that last night he became quite intent upon decorating for the occasion. Given my love all things festive, I was happy to oblige when he asked me to find his two Christmas shoe boxes in storage.

With lightning speed that only Santa could muster on the eve of Christmas itself, Adam opened the boxes and whipped out chains of beads, snow flakes on string, gold garland, silver garland, white lights, icicle lights, colored lights, snow globes, and, (oh my!) an armadillo Santa.

In five minutes flat, half of the decorations were up - strings of bead were across the kitchen door (Yes, I had to do the limbo to get in and out of the kitchen), lights were wrapped around the linen hamper, the lamppost, the bookshelf, draped from the bookshelf to the balcony door, and run across the carpet on the couch beneath the floor!

Four more minutes, and the stockings were hung on the shutter doors, the snowflakes on string were woven with the maroon beads around the small kitchen window. The kitchen stand had lights wrapped around its legs and my (I mean, our) bedroom window had bright icicle lights resting on the curtain rod.

For the last two minutes Adam sang, really quickly - as quickly as he poked lights under and over the furniture appendages, as quickly as he wrapped beads around the kitchen shutter windows, "The first noel...the angel did say..."

And then it was done. In nine minutes flat, the Monaghan home was ready for its first Christmas.

Thanksgiving

2010-12-07T16:00:00.003-06:00

White crescent rolls!

Jill, Kenny, Bill and Reagan joined us for Thanksgiving!

After our feast, Adam and I went to Lake Wabaunsee, "The Gem of the Flint Hills."

We stayed for three days and rested, restored, biked, ran, relaxed, talked, graded and lesson planned!

Kansas is very open and spacious!

Failure

2010-12-02T09:43:00.002-06:00

Failure is one of God's primary tools in making you the kind of person—and leader—He wants you to be. He'll use failure to mold you, shape you, and develop your character. The truth is, we rarely learn anything from success. - Rick Warren

Dancing in the Minefields, Andrew Peterson

2010-12-01T17:22:00.002-06:00

Well 'I do' are the two most famous last words
The beginning of the end
But to lose your life for another I've heard is a good place to begin
Cause the only way to find your life is to lay your own life down
And I believe it's an easy price for the life that we have found

2010 Run for Missions Official Report

2010-11-30T21:06:00.003-06:00

Check it out here!

Kansas Countryside

2010-11-11T18:06:00.003-06:00

I'm not quite sure what town I took these pictures in! It was somewhere in the Kansas prairie, probably about 70 miles west of Wichita.

2010 Run for Missions 5K & 10K Picture Tour

2010-11-11T17:19:00.006-06:00

Adam worked very diligently for almost an entire year to organize, plan and orchestrate the first ever "Run for Missions" 5K & 10K. The event attracted 114 registrants, a huge number of awesome volunteers and many other cheerers. The day (October 31st) was beautiful and we all had true fun!

2010 Run for Missions 100-Mile Picture Tour

2010-11-11T07:57:00.003-06:00

Oasis Ranch & Retreat Center

2010-11-08T17:53:00.003-06:00

2010 Kansas City Marathon

2010-10-18T21:04:00.002-05:00

Roughly 11,000 people were running!

Mom and I went to mile 21 to cheer for Adam!

After running 100 miles last weekend, Adam had an astounding finishing time at the Kansas City Marathon - 3:27! This is another PR for Adam which is wild because the Kansas City course is so hilly and he even had to stop to use the restroom twice! Great job, Adam!

Mom and I loved Kansas City - it was quite picturesque and the weather was beautiful for walking and for cheering! We all enjoyed a lunch at a mongolian grill after the race was done. The drive home through the Flint Hills was quite beautiful as well.

Run for Missions 5K/10K

2010-10-18T19:28:00.002-05:00

Adam has been planning the Run for Missions 5K/10K for the past year and the results of his work are going to pay off very soon! On Sunday, October 31, 2010, the first Run for Missions 5K/10K event will be hosted in Haviland, KS. For more information check out the following link: www.runformissions.org!

(The annual 100-mile Run for Missions is slated for November 1, 2010.)