One Bad Dude
I didn’t decide to run the Ft Worth Zoo Run 10k till about 2 weeks ago. I had some friends and coworkers ask me if I was running and finally I signed up. I haven’t done much distance running since my half-marathon in November. Partly because I wanted to heal up and partly because I was just getting lazy in my running. So I put together a two week crash course to get back close to the times I ran last year. I focused mostly on speed work and hills. I think I got one 6 mile run over the last two weeks. Read more
Being Scared
Photo Courtesy of D Sharon Pruitt
I watched Merlin Mann’s presentation on being scared earlier today. (The title and talk are laced with profanity but once you slice through all that, there are some profound thoughts). He talked about some of the things that scared him in as a child and as an adult. The death of his father, Doyle, the school bully, and the divorce from his first wife. He also had some of the other presenters write out some of their fears. Prolific writers who feared their best work was behind them. Musicians who feared people would find out they were a fraud. Others who were scared to love.
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Winter, Snowfall & Memories
I woke up this morning and it was snowing. I walked around while at work today and it was snowing. I just came inside from playing in the snow. And it was still snowing. It looks like there is at least a half a foot of snow on the ground. I drove to and from work and I wasn’t worried or complaining about being out in this. I was actually enjoying it. I guess it reminds me of my childhood. Also seeing your everyday landscape instantly transformed by a blanket of snow just affects your perspective. Read more
Getting Things Done – On the Cheap
I picked up Getting Things Done
- I purchased a physical inbox and process everything in it every couple of days.
- I created a filing system and bought a label maker to simply the process.
- I made a moleskin replacement out of old plastic covers from a notebook and duct tape. I also got a pen, the Zebra F-301 Compact, which fits comfortably in my pocket.
Standing on the Edge of Something
This New Year was truly the turning of a page. I graduated from seminary last month and so now I feel like I have this wide expanse before me. The only problem is I don’t know which way to go. I’ve got a lot of ideas rolling around in my head. However, many of these hair-brained ideas lead to the five years that prefaced my coming to seminary. Read more
Leadership Summit 2009 Takeaways
I’ve had the privilege of attending the Willow Creek Leadership Summit the last two years. Last year, I didn’t really know what to expect. This year, with my upcoming field study, I had a sense of anticipation. There were a lot of great speakers and this year there were a lot of small statements that spoke directly to me. They were convicting and I’m still working to live these out. Here are a few of the statements that stood out to me. Read more
Cambodia 2009 Recap
People have asked me what I liked about Cambodia or what I learned. It’s been hard to synthesize my thoughts because in part I was adjusting to being back in the states and also the stress of looking for a job.
The biggest thing that stands out in my mind is the sense of family and community. You’ve got a group of people that come from various nationalities and backgrounds yet have a common bond in Jesus Christ. Despite the cultural and language differences, they are a family. Our idea of family in the states has been skewed because of our frantic schedules and our geographic dispersion. This group in Cambodia eats together, works together, worships together and plays together. They care for each other and serve each other. This just stirred a longing in me for the same kind of community here. Read more
Exercise and Learning Discipline
I’ve never been one for exercise. I was on the track team in high school but I was a discus thrower. We tried to avoid running whenever possible. I’d have spurts in college where I’d lift weights and ride the exercise bike but nothing that serious. Also I never considered what I ate. Read more
Changes and Cliches
I’ve been flying below the radar for the last few months. After a month of looking for a job and coming up empty, I fell into a couple of contract positions. I have the freedom to work from home and when I want. But I also live with the fear that at any moment these contracts could end and I would be back at square one. Read more
In these troubled times…
I have been on an emotional roller coaster the last few months. I had been frustrated with my job and was working through issues. Then in December, a friend of mine died suddenly. Everything came to a head and I found myself in a depressed state for over a month. I would fall asleep by 9pm and wake up late. Some nights I didn’t even eat, I had no energy. Read more
