“The oldest marathon runner in the world, Britain-based Fauja Singh, has ended on a high at the age of 101 years…As the Indian-origin athlete completed the 26-mile London Marathon on Sunday in a record time of seven hours and 49 minutes, he announced this would be his last race.”

“In all, Fauja, who turned 101 on April 1, has run eight full marathons in the last 12 years. He started running professionally at the age of 89.”

Read the whole story at IBN Live: Fauja Singh retires from full marathons – Sports – Athletics – ibnlive.

Convicting:

“We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.”

1 John 4:19-21 [NIV]

Training Journal – 4/24/I12:

• Current plan: Half-marathon program: taper week
  
• Today’s session: 5 mile tempo: warm, 3 miles @ 8:20, cool
  
• Comments: Nice run.  Tempo splits were: 8:05, 7:56, 8:03 – overall 5.25 miles @ 8:20.  I keep telling myself that I need to get better at following my pacing plan if I want to be successful with a “time goal” half or full marathon plan.  MUST FOCUS. MUST FOCUS.
  

“…can we all get along?”

– Rodney King, 1992

sometimes this quote just pops into my mind…

“On Saturday night Casey Anthony walked out of an Orange County Florida jail.

She had her lawyer Jose Baez by her side plus 2 officers carrying automatic weapons and dressed for combat.

Outside was a crowd of 1,000 onlookers who hurled curses at her. Many believed this “Tot Mom” killed her child because Caylee was cramping her party-girl lifestyle.

They waved signs that said “How Could This Angel (Caylee) Been Born From This Devil?” … “

Continue reading at:

CASEY ANTHONY IS OUT OF PRISON. BUT YOURE NOT! | People of the Second Chance.

- Susan B. Anthony

In Sunday School this quarter, we’ve been studying the letters to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation.  This past week, we looked at the letter to Sardis – a church that seemed OK on the outside; but was, for the most part, different on the inside.  A church that was asleep, possibly complacent, just seeking “to fit in and not offend”, or, as a John MacArthur article I read put it, “[Sardis] had disintegrated and was now dead. It was suffering from dry rot while going through the motions of worship and activity.”

The truth was, they were offending the One who really mattered with their reputation-building and complacent lives.

I’m so glad we don’t have that in our churches today. [cue the crickets]

Sadly, as with the letters in Revelation 2 and 3, the same rebukes from Christ are or can become true in churches and Christians today.  This was convicting and challenging on a personal and corporate level for me.

The Susan B. Anthony quote was in a email I got today – it’s her 191st birthday.  It got me thinking about Sardis again and my response to the letter and charge written to them.  [OK, maybe it was the Holy Spirit jabbing me too]

x

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

- Paul, Romans 12:2

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

- Paul, 2 Timothy 1:7

Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.

- John, quoting Christ in Revelation 3:2

³We [Paul, Silas and Timothy] continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV)

Um, ok…”caught” is probably not the best word.  “Convicted” is probably more appropriate…

Mainly because at times, if I were honest, Paul may have phrased this a little differently about me (…maybe even you).

Maybe something like:

³We continually [lift you] before our God and Father [because of] your work produced by guilt, your labor prompted by obligation, and your endurance inspired by fear of our [gracious] Lord Jesus Christ [and the totally wrong thought you have that you've got to "bank" good things to make Him love you, accept you, and answer your prayers].

x

Oh, to be like the Thessalonians…