A few "in process" pics...

Reminds me of college...

So today we demo'ed the bathroom...

Mulling an upgrade...

Thinking about Japan

What a heartbreaking tragedy in Japan! Actually, as we know, it's three in one. Mercifully, all of the people that Amy and I are connected with who have friends or relatives in Japan are in contact with their folks. With so many dead and missing, that's a true grace.

Two stories caught my eye recently. Both demonstrate the resiliency, communal spirit and hard-work intrinsic in the Japanese culture. If these are at all representative, the Japanese are uniquely equipped to endure such a heinous experience.

This is the story of a highway that gets rebuilt...in 3 days! How long do you think that would take in your town?!? It's a great metaphor I think.

And then there's this story. Now, before you go there, please note that it is full of foul language. But what a story of strength, courage, determination and perseverance. It'll preach! To whet your appetite, enjoy this little doozy of a quote: Now, I'm sure you're wondering what the f*** is more intense than commandeering a wet suit, face-punching a tsunami and dragging your wife of two decades out of the flooded wreckage of your home, but, no sh**, it gets even better...

Evidently the standard Dixon family rate of $1 a tooth is not good enough for our Lucy...

Because everyone knows that heart-shaped quesadillas just taste better!

Before and After

A Heartbeat Away

I love the old Michael Palmer, like back in the day Palmer. Unfortunately, in A Heartbeat Away , Palmer has lost his groove.

Recently, I went and watched the movie I am Number Four . I had not seen a trailer; all I knew was the premise, which sounded fascinating. Going in expecting great things, I was so disappointed to essentially be watching Twilight 8. Teenyboppers and aliens as far as the eye can see...

A Heartbeat Away was like that. The premise is amazing. A virus is released by terrorists during the State of the Union. Imagine that. Over 700 people held hostage, the core of our government. There is one designated survivor. What will happen?!?

Not enough, unfortunately. The plot is weak with characters I had trouble connecting with. The pacing was tough to follow and at several points I had to backtrack because the scene jumped so abruptly.

In the old days, Palmer's novels were quick-paced medical thrillers, themed around one person against some devious medical system. After reading A Heartbeat Away , I wish he would go back there.

Born to Run

In the last three years, I've read a lot of running books. The key word there is "a lot." And they are all amazing reads. Which makes sense. If you get a contract to write a running book, you are someone capable of superhuman feats, and you're probably pretty crazy as well. Put it another way, no one is asking this 15-20 mile a week, 1:40ish half marathon running 38-year old campus minister to write up his running biography! Bottom line...I love reading Karnazes, Reed, Yasso, et al. I leave each one entertained but, more importantly, inspired. They take me beyond my own experience.

On one hand, Born to Run is another example of the genre. In this case, we get to read about perhaps the craziest, most indie race around, a 50 mile footrace in the Mexican badlands featuring America's best ultrarunner, some truly crazy characters and the best of a tribe of Mexican runners called the Tarahumara. Toss in writer Christopher McDougall's wry and witty writing style, and it's a 5-star read just at that level.

Thing is, Born to Run doesn't stay at that level. And that's its genius. Because Born to Run offers the reader what you might call a meta-narrative. A bigger picture. A deeper story. Unlike the rest of the pack, whose meta-narratives are seemingly limited to "run...it's fun!" this story takes it a few levels deeper.

Here's my shot at articulating what Born to Run is, at its core, all about: the danger of so-called "progress." And, really, McDougall tells us this deeper, more important story on two levels.

First, we get to know the Tarahumara. Truly, these isolated folk are born to run. And run they do. In sandals and bright outfits no less (or more). And they love it. Running is as integral a part of their culture as McDonald's is of ours. And yet the picture McDougall paints is a tragic one. Slowly but surely, civilization is coming to their Copper Canyon home. Paved roads, bus routes, phones, things like that. And with this "progress," their running culture changes. Whole villages are giving up running. Others begin running in flashy Western gear. In one of saddest passages of the book, a group of Tarahumara take shortcuts up the mountain in an effort to win the great race. The people who love to run for the sake of running have, slowly but surely, misplaced their affection in the name of "progress."

Next, we get a thought-provoking look at what "progress" has meant for our feet. I gotta be honest...reading Born to Run made me want to go out to the nearby school, lose the shoes and run a few barefoot laps around the grassy field. The story McDougall tells reads something like this: the human body, and specifically the foot, is designed with running in mind. We are truly born to run. But several decades ago, someone (looking at you Nike) told us that we need these shoes to avoid injuries. And, we should plan to spend $100 plus to get these shoes. Thing is, in the time that we've been taught this, running injuries have increased. Significantly. What's "progress" then? And have we traded our physical health in the name of "motion control?" McDougall's answer would be yes.

So, 5 stars for the story and 6 for the meta-story. If you want to be challenged to think deeply about the nature of progress, this is the one for you. If, however, you just want some good yarns about some running freaks, I've got a bookshelf full of 'em for you!

The yearly Fly in the Soup March Madness picks

Wow, 4 games in and 3 last minute wins. If this is going to be a trend, I like it. Once again, I'm in the Sexton family grudge match, er tournament challenge. And after winning last year, I'm planning to be the first repeat winner in our history. Here are the picks:

Carolina beating Ohio State to make the final four out of the East.
SDSU (Go Aztecs!) beating Duke to make the final four out of the West.
Kansas beating Notre Dame to make the final four out of the Southwest.
And Michigan State (yes, Michigan State, the 10 seed) beating Pitt to make it out of the Southeast.

From there, I have Carolina beating SDSU and Kansas beating State. Then put me down for Roy Williams and the Heels beating the Jayhawks 65-60.

Happy Patty's Day from the Dixons!

A limerick for today

There once was an old man named Rob
All Wednesday his head had a throb
Took a nice morning nap
'Round the hood a late lap
At day's end he feels like a blob

Was it a surgery or a procedure? Either way, it hurt and I saw blood!

So until this morning I'd never been to a podiatrist before. Turns out the average clientele is about 20 years older than I am and you're not hip at a podiatrist unless you are wearing some of these badboys. But I digress...

I was there to get my ingrown toenail trimmed. Or is it clipped? Or cut? Not sure. At any rate, of course I have running to blame for the situation. The offending nail had been hurt either in late 2009 or at the Shamrockn Half in March of 2010. It had finally fallen off in July 2010 (outside the Starbucks in Cedar City, Utah if you must know) and then it had been hurting for the last month or so.

Turns out the surgery (or procedure if you'd rather) was pretty benign. Four shots to numb it all (I had sheepishly turned down his offer to go without) and then some tugging and pulling and it was done. Now I'm home waiting for the anesthesia to wear off. Pass the Aleve.

Here are two pics from the morning. I'll spare you the during pic, but here's the before shot. And then how's that for an industrial strength nail clipper?!?

Saw a Guatemalan Quetzal coin today and suddenly wished I was here:

A God-Sized Vision

I read A God-Sized Vision last Sunday in preparation for some meetings this week. What a fantastic read! The book hit me on several levels:

As a history major, I loved the stories of how God has worked in the past. What a joy to hear about the global and historic scope of His work in fanning revival. You leave this book certain that no place, people or timeframe is outside of God's ability to work.

As a staff worker, I loved hearing about the people that God used to advance his purposes on earth. People like Jonathan Edwards, Charles Finney and Timothy Dwight at Yale. As someone who everyday works to see students transformed, campuses renewed and world changers developed (how's that for a plug for IV?!?), I left inspired that God might bring revival onto my campuses in my day. May it indeed be so!

As a writer, I loved reading about the importance of chronically the work of God. I mean, how incredible that a revival in Whales could directly lead to a revival in India?!? It's not like those countries are neighbors! When God's people experience a fresh work of His Spirit, when they write it down, and then when they share it with others, the work spreads. It was fun to dream about what this could look like on our campuses.

Lastly, as a Jesus follower, I loved being challenged by what revival could mean for me. Where do I need revival in my own heart? Where do I want to see God work in fresh and amazing ways in my character? Where in my personal ministry do I need a rekindling? A God-Sized Vision gives the reader hope that the Spirit has the power to renew our souls and bring us back to life.

When people tell me that "they grow up too fast," I usually roll my eyes. But here's the thing...it's true.

In just 47 days, the Dixons are going to have 9 year old on our hands. That notion sort of staggers me. So I thought tonight that I'd record some of my favorite things about Josh right now. Gotta do it quick before he grows out of them!

I love how he has crazy, long hair right now that is ever rumpled...and he doesn't care.
I love how last night when he was having trouble going to sleep, I totally distracted him with a google picture search on "space shuttle."
I love how he's dutifully collecting cards. He's even got the little plastic card sleeves in a binder. Somewhere out in the garage, his dad has boxes full of cards just waiting to be rediscovered.
I love how he loves being a big brother, even though living in a house with 3 little sisters is constant chaos.
I love how he's content with his steady improvement on the soccer field.
I love how he loves to tell me about what he's experiencing...again and again.
I love how he can't tie his shoes, how he struggles to zip his jacket and how putting on shinguards kind of mystifies him. What's the rush? There'll be time for all of that later.
I love how, no matter the temperature, he cocoons each night in his Sesame Street blanket.
I love how we faithfully pray for Bosnia most nights.
I love how he's totally geeked up to go to the Monster Truck show at the SaveMart Center tomorrow night with his friend Preston.
I love how he can't wait to be a runner like his dad.
I love how he is tender-hearted.
I love how he thought our waitress was cute last weekend. I think the quote was "Mommy, I think I know who I want to marry."
I love how he's a reader. The kid's not happy unless there's a book nearby.
I love how he gave his friend Garrett five bucks. Just because.
I love how he's committed to the Lakers and Dodgers for life. Sorry Uncle Seth!
I love how he's memorized everything there is to know about Super Mario Galaxy. It reminds me of how I felt growing up about Middle Earth.
I love how I really have to work to beat him at MarioKart.
I love how I'm slowly wearing him down and sometime soon he'll read a Hardy Boys mystery.
I love how thrilled he gets with Man Lunches, Family Fun Days and time with us. May that never change!
I love how for some reason he has to use our bathroom in the morning.
I love how he's up to three bowls of Cinnamon Toast Crunch in the morning.
I love how unlike his sister he doesn't mind me hugging him goodbye in the morning at school.

I could go on. Josh, when you read this someday, know that your Dad is CRAZY about you and the little man that you are becoming! I love you buddy.

We had a DATE NIGHT tonight and it ended with this!

Why I do what I do!

A few pics from last weekend's Winter Conference. More here. What a joy to be almost 15 years in (in December) and more convinced than ever in the call to develop students to change our world for Jesus.

My idea of a perfect Saturday morning

Thanks Layla for the great pics!

I welcome your comments on this one...

My date tonight for my CSUF large group talk...

Dean's at it again...

He's the ultramarathon man. He's run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days. He's run forever all over the world. Heck, he looks like me with his shirt off (it's really uncanny).

And now he's at it again. Dean Karnazes is running across the country. Who cares if Regis and Kelly are pimping (and by that horrible choice of word I mean "using him"--thanks Tina for pointing that out) him out for it. It's insane. Today, for instance, he logged 45 miles. That's one day after 40+ from Disneyland to Riverside. Dude's pretty wild.

He's blogging (of course). Site is here if you are interested. Go Dean.

We're going to need to get our toboggan back from the Cleary's...

...'cause evidently it's gonna snow in Clovis on Saturday!

Lest you think my life is all VIP passes and handshakes with famous people...

...there's a morning like this morning. It's 9:27 as I type and here have been my top 6 highlights thus far:

1. Swept the floor
2. Managed the laundry
3. Watched Lily (with help from The Little Mermaid)
4. Did the dishes
5. Caring for sick Joshy
6. Bonus: the toilet overflowed

OK, gotta run. #7 will be the diaper I'm about to change. I'll spare you the picture...

A day inside the ropes

What a treat on Saturday to spend the day inside the ropes following two PGA pros, 2008 Masters Champ Trevor Immelman and Paul Stankowski, and their amateur partners, Andy Garcia and George Lopez, for 18 holes at Pebble Beach. Truly, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Thank you to Jim Ha for the generous opportunity!

My top 10 list from the day:

1. Trevor Immelman's golf swing. Wow. That guy has such a smooth, balanced swing. His worst swing on Saturday was better than any golf swing I've ever attempted in my golfing life.

2. Being close enough to Phil Mickelson on the putting green to hear him call something "bullshit." You can't hear that sitting on your couch at home!

3. Shaking some famous (or mostly famous) hands. My list included: Jim Nantz, Paul Stankowski, Ian Baker-Finch, Matt Cain, Andy Garcia, Tom Dressen and Trevor Immelman.

4. Patient golf pros. As sweet at Immelman's swing was, it was his patience that impressed me most. Think about it. It's a 6 hour round of golf at its highest level on one of the toughest courses in the country, punctuated by outrageous and at times borderline inappropriate outbursts from a crazy amateur (looking at you Mr. Lopez). Unbelievable watching Ian and Paul keep their cool.

5. Allow me to quote George Lopez, when he was asked about why he doesn't wear John Daly's golf pants: "I tried a pair once; my nuts caught on fire."

6. Getting in Bill Belichick's way. There I was, leaning against the pro shop counter minding my own business when I hear this gruff "excuse me please" behind me. Yep, that was me, blocking Patriots coach Belichick's walk from the pro shop restroom to the first tee.

7. Sliders on 6. Let me just tell you that the pros eat well on the course. Case in point...the slider burger bar on the 6th tee. So good. And, thankfully, I got my fill before the group behind me got there. That group included Daly, Cain and, oh yeah, some dude named Tony Romo.

8. It takes an army to televise this thing. Part of our package was a brief tour of the CBS compound. Tour guide told us that it takes 300 people to tell the story of the tournament. It was a small village over there!

9. The star of the show was really the golf course. What a gem. Beautiful day, amazing course. I'll have to get back there to play a round sometime, right after I win the lottery.

10. For me it really was all about the pros. I was star-struck by Garcia and Lopez for like 30 seconds. After that, it was all about watching Immelman and Stankowski do their thing. It was great to see someone actually play this crazy game with some skill!

The security thugs were pretty committed to us not taking pictures during the round, but I managed a few. First one is the iconic 7th tee with Andy Garcia getting ready to play. Second one is on the 18th tee. Third one is me in the fairway on 11 in my spiffy Pebble Beach windshirt. And, last but not least, me and Jimmy on 18 green.

Musing on John 11:25-26

I woke up this morning thinking about the words of John 11:25-26: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” What a beautiful promise from Jesus! For those who believe, even in physical death there is eternal life.

Three nights ago the chapter at Fresno State suffered a devastating blow when David Chen, a student leader in their community, passed away unexpectedly in his sleep. David had been involved with InterVarsity for three years and had been leading for the last two.

In my current role with InterVarsity, I seldom spend time with students. Which is weird, given that we're a student ministry. Honestly, I'm still getting used to this reality. After all, InterVarsity staff don't come on staff to NOT hang out with students!

But I did know David, at least in passing. I've spoken at the Fresno State large group meeting each of last couple of years and I remember David. Last time I was there, earlier this Fall, David was leading, or helping to lead, worship for the evening. And the image that remains for me is of David playing his guitar, singing with a huge grin on his face. The picture below will give you a sense of what I mean.

To be honest, as a university ministry we don't spend that much time talking about heaven. Or, if we do, we talk mostly about what the old song calls "heaven it the real world," life in the Kingdom this side of eternity.

Tonight the Fresno State chapter will gather to grieve together even as they celebrate David's life. Tonight we'll talk about life, death, eternity and heaven. And I'll be there ready to pray with students, with a few boxes of Kleenex in one hand, a plate or three of cookies in the other and with John 11:25-26 on my heart.

Yesterday, our staff at Fresno State sent along the following picture of David, now a full time citizen of heaven!

Sure, he can't tie his shoes or ride a bike, and he can barely button his jeans...

...but our boy dominated his awards ceremony today, and, midway through third grade, he's reading at a 6th grade (almost 7th) level. Congrats Joshy!

Because if it wasn't obvious enough that the pack of white people were out of place in the neighborhood that summer...

...they got us these hideous yellow shirts. Team shot from the Los Angeles Urban Project, summer of 1995.

A Super Bowl update from A Fly in the Soup

Happy Super Sunday people! It's 11:42am, the Super Bowl pre-game show is already on (4 hours before kick-off mind you), I just woke up from the first of several planned naps and by the Lord's mercy it's sunny and 63 degrees today! I'm mulling a lap or two around the neighborhood at halftime.

As for the game, put me down for the Packers rolling the Steelers 35-14. Close first half before the Pack pulls away in the second half. For the record, I will be wishing I was watching the game Riddoiugh-style in Orcutt, CA with a full plate of amazing tri-tip in front of me and the spirit of Beaker bird hovering in the air...

Speaking of the SB, intriguing article here about the small town of Portsmouth, Ohio, a town which once had an NFL team (in the 30s). Interesting to consider how that town's fortunes might be different today had the team (which went on to become the Detroit Lions) stayed.

Enjoy the day! Pack 'em!

The Power of a Whisper

In the last chapter of The Power of a Whisper, Pastor and author Bill Hybels writes "part of the reason I have written this book is to encourage you that it's actually possible to follow through ."

Mission accomplished. For me the power of a Hybels book comes from the array of stories that he is able to bring to bear on his topic. If the dude hasn't done the deed himself, then he knows someone who has. I love that. I mean, really, there isn't much that was new for me in this book. Yep, the Spirit speaks and when He does, we need to obey. Who hasn't heard that before?!?

And yet I do need to keep hearing it, and if it's wrapped in a cocoon of well-told and vivid stories, all the better. Hybels' genius, then, is in the demonstrating. This is a personal book. You get to read about Bill's parenting, his dark nights of the soul, his journey to understand his ethnic identity and, along the way, you get at least part of the story of the remarkable work of God that is Willow Creek.

I was most grateful for two chapters worth of content. Chapter 7 is about parenting, and specifically the importance of listening for and then heeding the nudges of God as we seek to lead our families. Most often I think of hearing from God in a ministry context, so it was powerful for me to be challenged to consider doing the same thing here at home. And then the second chapter that was powerful for me was chapter 9. The whole chapter is terrific, but the portion about racial justice is extra strong. As my mostly white church engages with this book this Winter in our all church study, my hope is that we examine ourselves with the same intentionality and vulnerability that Hybels examined both his own racial biases and the racialized culture that we live in in this country.

So, in the end, you gotta love Hybels. Recently I started following him on twitter. Only bummer there is it's tough to tell a story in only 140 characters! Let me close with perhaps my favorite quote from the book: "the God of the Scriptures is irrepressibly communal, hopelessly familial and his whispers are still ours to hear." Amen.

Freakin' Popliteus?

So I'm pretty sure I've tweaked my popliteus. Popliteus. Sounds like some microscopic animal. Or maybe a really bad virus.

Who knows, but I think that's what is strained in the back of my left knee. Found some seemingly helpful info here and here.

For now, it's gonna be:
1. More cross training on the bike.
2. Easier pace, shorter runs and less of them.
3. Shorter strides and a more even footfall.
4. Better, deeper stretching before.
5. Ice after.
6. Massage?
7. No racing til March?

Keep you posted.

Regarding the Big O...

I watched Oprah's take on San Luis Obispo with interest this week. In case you missed it, check it out here. As you would expect from Oprah, it was a glowing report of a truly beautiful community. Interestingly, in the aftermath SLO is experiencing what they are calling the "Oprah effect." Article here on that.

Don't get me wrong, I love San Luis Obispo. If in His sovereignty the Lord wanted to send us back there, it would be an easy step of obedience for us. It's not just the place, it's also the memories. Those were some of the best years of our lives. But, really, does it deserve the gaudy title of "Happiest City in America?!?"

I realize that Oprah isn't exactly known for her hard-hitting journalism. And in case there was any doubt about that, let's just note that Oprah sent Jenny McCarthy into her town as her correspondent. And she wore this shirt. Enough said.

So allow me a couple of critiques on the piece:

1. If you are going to discern just how happy a place is, you have to talk to those who left, not just those who stayed. I mean, of course those who stay, provided they have the capacity to move, are at least somewhat content! What about the folks who left? Why did they leave, and could it perhaps be because they were unhappy?!?

2. One of the interviews in Oprah's piece is about how friendly the city is for at least one mixed-race couple. That's terrific for them. But I can tell you from personal experience that it hasn't been that rosy for lots of other minority people. I have one Latino friend from Fresno who won't visit SLO because he's uncomfortable with the lack of diversity. SLO is somewhere north of 80% white. If you are in the majority, the world is almost always happier, right?

3. At the end of the piece, Oprah asked about several things, among them the median home price. Jenny came back with the number $400,000 (it's actually $470,000) and something along the lines of how SLO's affordability is one more reason why it's happy. Sounds great, if you can afford a home in that price range. And here I am, blogging from Clovis...

At the end of the day, perhaps the more accurate statement would be to say that San Luis Obispo is the happiest city in America...for a certain demographic.

That time we got bamboozled...

So there I was yesterday afternoon, half sleeping and half awake, when Amy blows through the door summoning me outside. Her call? "There's a guy outside talking about a rat and mice infestation in our neighborhood. Get out here!"

After 30 seconds of grumbling, I dragged my carcass out there to find this Jonah Hill lookalike dude standing there with a clipboard and a Tower Pest Control jacket. With a grave look on his face, he starts his story. Let me paraphrase:

There's an infestation here in the 'hood. Some neighbor up around the corner had a bunch of old, rusting cars in her backyard. When they went to clean them out, it was a "scattershot" of mice and rats. We sprayed, but that only drove them out of that yard and into the neighborhood. Now, your neighbor 2 doors down has captured like 8 mice in the last month or so, and when we spray there, those mice will want to go somewhere else. Have you seen any mice at your house sir???

Good story, huh? He went on to tell us that the spray they use for the mice can also get rid of spiders and, lucky for him, we've had some black widows in our backyard. After he lowered the initial spray from $120 to $40 and promised us the good guy $36 monthly fee for our one year contract, we went for it. Signed it right then and there in our driveway. When we were done, he walked off with a nice "God bless" and we happily looked forward to our first spray, scheduled for 11am this morning.

One catch. It was a total sham. Flat out bogus. Even, one suspects, the "God bless" at the end. We went down to the neighbors and he knew nothing about the mice. I went online to the Better Business Bureau and Tower Pest Control gets a nice, fat "F." We called them right away and canceled. Later, thinking it through, I realized that that guy was good, really good. Let me break it down:

1. His story was full of specifics. Details add authority to a narrative. Our neighbor caught 8 rats. When they got into those cars, it was a "scattershot" effect. When we mentioned the black widows, he even told us that "if kids swallow those spiders, they lay eggs in their stomach and that can be really bad." He hooked us with the specifics (and gave our poor Lucy some really nasty imagery to contend with as she went to sleep)!

2. He banked on us not knowing our neighbors. And he was right. I mean, I'd met the neighbor in question once, but it's not like we talk a lot. Had he actually caught 8 mice in the last month, I would not have known it. What's funny is that the house next to us is empty; the safer lie would have been to say "the bank called us out to eradicate some mice next door and we caught 8. Have you found any yet at your house sir?" But he went with the more risky bluff, and we could not even get close to calling it.

3. He had to know right then. In hindsight, I should have said, "how about you come back in an hour?" But, according to him, it had to be right then. To wait would mean paying more and waiting longer for the first spraying. Man, once he heard us say that we'd been thinking about having someone come out to spray for spiders, he must have salivated.

In the end, no harm, no foul. We're off the hook, and it's more interesting for me than anything else. I will say this for any locals: steer clear of Tower Pest.

Want some stuff to pray for?!?

If you are the praying type, feel free to pray with us/me this week. It's a key week in our InterVarsity calendar, as we seek to discern what God is doing in our Division. A couple of tools to help you pray:

1. Our recent prayer update, from last week here.

2. A prayer guide I worked up for our team about this discernment season here.

Thanks for supporting us!

Tale of the Tape

In my house growing up there was this one wall where as kids we measured our heights every year or so. We haven't really done such a thing in our house, so I'll do it on the ol' blog today for posterity's sake. Thanks to the Wii Fit for help with the weights. As of January 19th, the specs were:

Joshua: 53 inches tall and 74.5 pounds at 8 years, 9 months
Lucy: 44.5 inches tall and 45 pounds at 6 years, 5 months
Grace: 43 inches tall and 42 pounds at 4 years, 9 months (no wonder people think they are twins!)
Lily: 34.5 inches tall and 30 pounds at 2 years, 4 months

As for Amy and I, er, well, I'll just spare you the rest...

Be careful what you wish for...

In my role on staff, I'm constantly around folks in transition. People are continually coming on staff, considering new roles on staff or leaving staff. Particularly at this time of year, as we're ramping up for the coming school year, I find myself in conversation after conversation that at some point or another involves the statement "I wish God would just give me a sign."

Last night our pastor had quite a line for that way of thinking. Here's what he said: "if God has to appear to you in a flashing light, something is coming after...that you probably do not want." That made me sit up in my seat. Is he right?

Paul gets the divine light, then gets blinded and, in the bigger picture, is called to suffer.
Moses gets the burning bush, and then gets to take charge of a large tribe of stiff-necked Israelites.
Isaiah gets the burning coal to his mouth, and then is given a prophetic message of judgment to deliver.

Perhaps the celestial sign is not all it's cracked up to be, but what's the alternative? In The Power of a Whisper, Bill Hybels describes what he calls nudges, or whispers, from the Lord. Next time I'm in a crossroads kind of place, perhaps I'm looking for a whisper not a light show!

The plan for 2011

At the moment, the following running/racing plan seems a bit far-fetched as I deal with a sore knee, but, fingers crossed, here is my plan for my running and racing this year:

Race Calendar
February 19: Run Judicata in Clovis (5K)
March 5: Blossom Trail Run in Sanger (10K)
April 10: Wine Country Half Marathon in Paso Robles
April 23: Shinzen Run in Fresno (6 miles)
May 22: California Classic Half Marathon in Fresno
June 19: Father's Day Race in Fresno (6 miles)
October 9: City to the Sea Half Marathon in SLO
November 6: Two Cities Half Marathon in Fresno
December 4: California International Marathon in Sacramento

The idea is to work on speed stuff early on in the year and to build mileage for the Fresno Half in May. Then, I'll relax through the summer and ramp up for the marathon using the two halves as preparation.

In addition, here are a couple of other things that I'm thinking about as I try to get better and faster:

1. Form, form, form. On my longer runs in particular I'm trying to remind myself to run more efficiently. For me that means: swinging my arms, shorter strides, leaning slightly forward and running more on the balls of my feet. Will it work? Who knows, but it does give me something to think about besides how much further I have to go!

2. Recalibrate the baseline. Since I've been out and running, I've had the following grid: 9 minute pace is cruising along, anything faster is pushing it and anything slower goes in the "long, slow distance run" category. I'm trying to drop the baseline down to 8 minute pace right now. So far, so good.

3. Goals. The other day someone asked me what my time goals are for this year, so, OK, here you go:
I want to be sub-20 in the 5Ks.
I want to PR in the 10Ks, which shouldn't be tough. Right now it's a 45:02. Maybe sub-42 this year?
I want to go sub-1:35 at the Paso half. Not sure about the Fresno or two Fall ones.
I want to go sub-3:45 in the Marathon. I appreciate Fram's challenge to try to qualify for Boston, but that may be a bit ambitious!

What do you do when you find something on the internet that you want to save to use later but have nowhere to put it? Blog it!

Isn't this a cool graphic?

2010 Running Year in Review

Happy New Years to all! Waiting for the ball to drop last night, I did some updating on my running spreadsheet. 2010 was a good year out on the roads and trails. Here are the details:

Total miles run: 876, up from 680 last year. I think I'll aim for 1000 in 2011.

Average miles/month: 73. Biggest month was October with 111 (ramping up for the marathon) and the leanest months were 50 in March and May.

Total days run: 166 days. That's 45% of the days last year, which feels low to me. It's an average of 13.8 days per month. Biggest month was July with 18 days (thanks Minnesota trip) and the leanest month was November with 10 days (after the marathon I could barely walk, much less run).

Average run length: 5.3 miles. That seems high to me. Wow. 5+ miles every time out, on average.

Longest run: Not counting the marathon, that would be 22.01 on October 24th. Man, that hurt.

Shortest run: The shortest run I recorded was 1 measly mile, on May 2nd following the La Jolla Half Marathon. Curse that Torrey Pines hill!

Races: 11 in 2010, same as 2009. Put me down for: one marathon, 3 halves, 5 5Ks, the freakin' Bay to Breakers and a 1 miler in the streets of Clovis!

Injuries: Unlike 2009, I dodged any major, debilitating injuries in 2010 (fingers crossed). As I look back at the training log, though, I see more nagging types of aches and pains than the previous year. Looking at you, right calf, both knees and an ankle or two...

Faces: Great to run with fantastic people. The running log is filled with my nearest and dearest. So, thanks to: Amy, Tina, Lovie, Cleary, Isch, Paulie, Nalley, Ed, Michelle, Fram, Mark, Seth and, my favorite, Joshua.

Places: I ran in lots of places in 2010. To name a few: Chicago, IL, Madison, WI, Cedar City, UT, Denver, CO, Henderson, NV, Lincoln, NE and all over northern Minnesota. Even made it international this year with like 2 miles into Canada. Closer to home: Cambria, Irvine, Morgan Hill, Pasadena, Sacramento, Bako, Ventura, Santa Barbara. It's gonna sound cheesy, but I love it that I can run anywhere and everywhere. It's a great way to explore new places.

Here's to great running in 2011! Huzzah!

Me, Jesus and money

I recently gave a talk on money for our staff team, and part of the talk was a list of 10 things that I learned about money during college through my InterVarsity chapter. It seems blog-worthy, so here you go:

1. Proper stewardship is submission to Christ's Lordship. The wallet and the heart walk in tandem!
2. God provides. I learned this from listening to my staff talk about their fund development. Good job, old staff!
3. In the context of the world, I am absurdly wealthy. Yes, even as a college student that was true.
4. Generosity is a Kingdom value. Tip big people. It's good for you.
5. Budgeting your money is good stewardship.
6. Offerings are great places to spend your disposable income. We used to pass around a bucket and folks would joyfully empty their pockets!
7. Tithing is a fundamental part of Christian discipleship. 10% is the standard, but don't be bound by that. Give more!
8. In the Kingdom, we support those who are shepherding us. 1 Cor. 9:14.
9. Lifelong financial obedience is what Jesus is calling for. Whether you have a lot or a little...
10. College students can really get this stuff!

As I look back, I'm so grateful to know this stuff, both in value and practice. Now, to figure out how to help this generation of students learn it for themselves!

Getting to know your 'hood

How well do you know your neighborhood? I mean, I know a few of our neighbors, particularly the ones with kids in classes with Josh, Lucy and Grace. But I don't have a sense of what happening in the bigger picture of where we live.

Enter this site. What a fascinating source of data!

So for our census tract (how do they figure those anyway?!?), here's what's true about our hood:
We're 60% white (higher than I would have thought)
We're 30% Latino
87% of us graduated from High School
14% have a Bachelor's or higher
Our median household income is just under $60K
22% of my neighborhood make less than $30K
1% earn over $200K (ah, that's not us...)

What I did right

The other day out on a run (appropriately enough), I was reflecting on the marathon and what went well that day. Here's my list:

1. I drank a lot. Last time out (in San Diego in May 09), I didn't drink enough early and therefore was stopping to chug at the drink stations late. So my goal from the start this time was to drink from each and every water station, and to drink the full cup. Mission (almost) accomplished, except for one time when the stingy drink guy wouldn't release his stinkin' cup! I think drinking enough early helped me finish well later on.

2. I also ate a lot. Put me down for a Clif Bar (chocolate mint of course) between miles 4.5 and 6, then a GU (vanilla) at the half, then a banana and water bottle of flat root beer between miles 16 and like 18, and then one more GU at around mile 21. OK, so it's not exactly dinner at Claim Jumper, but it worked in terms of giving me energy later on.

3. I broke the race into fourths. I went back and forth about this in the run-up to the marathon. How should you break down the 26.2? I mean, do you break it into two halves? Thirds? Do you go with a whole bunch of 5Ks? 26.2 is just staggeringly long. In the end, I opted for fourths. And I decided to cruise the first quarter, push the second, cruise the largely downhill third quarter and then just do what I could on the way in. It was a helpful way to think about the distance.

4. No ipod until after Clovis. At the San Diego marathon, I went with the ipod from the gun, and by like mile 20, when the wall hit, I wanted to throw that thing into the Pacific. This time, I chose to wait to put on the headphones until after I'd seen the family in downtown Clovis. That worked. New music also worked (thanks Lovie). What didn't work were the podcasts that went MIA on race day, but whatever.

5. I had my nipples covered. Sure it's TMI, but, hey, it's my blog, right? This time, I actually shaved a landing pad for the band-aids. After all, you don't want this to happen, you know?!? Totally worked.

6. I trained better. Methinks this was the biggest factor. More miles overall, more longer runs (including a 23 miler two weeks before instead of a lone 20 miler one week before last time), more visualizing the course. Then the other thing is experience. I had done a marathon before and knew what it would feel like late in the race.

One more shot from the streets of Clovis:

Marathon II

Yesterday was the Eye-Q Trail of Two Cities marathon. What a great experience! Made the sub 4 hour goal and ran the entire course. Some of the stats from the day:

Finish time: 3:54:21 (8:57 pace)
Overall place: 205 (out of 741)
Gender place: 157
Age group: 30

10K split: 54:12 (8:45 pace)
Half split: 1:56:16
20mi split: 2:57:16
Last 10K: 57:03 (9:12 pace)