That is what my heart doctor told me yesterday, "Slow up some. Until we do your heart cath next week, just take it a little slower." Okay, so I did "a little." The last two weeks I have been averaging 20+ mph and 40 miles a day. Today I went 36.2 miles in 2 miles and 2 minutes for an average of 17.7 mph. So for those who would say something, I slowed my pace and my distance. Please pray that I don't have any problems between now and my heart cath next week. I am hoping that the Lord will give me some good days riding before then. Today's ride took me to Arlington Texas not far from Cowboy's Stadium. I won't be getting much closer than I am now, so I will not be seeing it and Lord willing I will be on the east side of Dallas tomorrow at this same time. It is a challenge to follow the map around some of these larger cities but have been able to keep my miles very exact.
Thought more about John 15 today and especially verse 13, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." Of course the prime example of this is Jesus, who gave His life for many. His was the greatest demonstration of love anyone could ever give. What is amazing about this statement is that this kind of love is a choice. Love is a choice. It is a choice to demonstrate love that way. And, it is a choice a person makes to lay down their life for someone else. No one forced Jesus to die for you or me. He did it of His own accord. It was a choice He made because of His love for His friends - those who have put their faith in Him.
I will talk to you tomorrow.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Day 38 - What a difference a day makes
Yesterday, when I sat down to write this blog, I titled it "Praise the Lord, still going strong." As I sit down tonight, I still praise the Lord, but I am not sure I am so sure about still going strong. This is the 18th of April and it in between two anniversaries for me. 34 years ago, April 17th, I accepted the Lord as my Savior and my life has never been the same and I praise the Lord. One year ago April 19th, many who read this blog may not know, I had a heart attack. I was actually at a board meeting for our ministry, Northern Light Ministries and it hit. I thought it could not happen to me. I mean I exercise, ride bikes and do many things to stay in shape for that ministry; but it did. It is interesting, that my heart doctor told me that 30% of the people who enter a hospital with a heart attack like I had never leave the hospital alive and 60% never live a year afterward. Well today I had a three month visit with him today after I rode early this morning and rode 33.9 miles in 1 hour and 35 minutes and averaged 21.3 mph. Never done that before! Well at my visit today I found out I have to go back in next week for my fourth heart cath in the year since my heart attack. He also put the clamps on my pushing too hard on my rides. Doesn't he realize I have to get across our land. But for now I will not push as hard and will have to extend my trip another week. I will behave myself to a point but I will keep riding. Please be patient with me. I will also have a put the ride on hold for a few days after the cath. I will keep blogging though. I obviously have some things to learn through this too. One thing you must know; I will still praise the Lord for this too and look for what I am to learn. Today's ride left me about 20 miles west of Fort Worth and still looking forward to making it to the Dallas area.
I have still been thinking much about John 15 and verse 12 is one of those verses that should reach out and grab ahold of each and every one of His children. Verse 12 says this, "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." He just said, "if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love." First He tells us what the command is, "to love one another." In Matt. 22, He tells us to love out neighbor as we love ourselves." My neighbor is anyone out there; the person I work beside or the person who owns the house across the street. I am suppose to love that person in the same way I love myself. Okay, I can do that. But verse 12 is different, we are to love one another. One another is our family in Christ. Those others who should be closest to us - other Christians. But those people, we are to love not like I love myself, but the way Christ loves. His love is pure, whole, and complete and that is how how I am supposed to love other disciples in Christ. Can we ever reach that level of love perfectly? - NO! But I can work, I can strive, I can put forth all the effort I can to "love one another" in that way. Jesus stresses this idea to His closest followers in the last few hours He would have a chance to teach them what was most important to Him before He went to the cross and demonstrate what that kind of love was all about. We can all learn from His example.
Please check out our website and pray about whether you will help us make our goal to purchase a lodge in Canada.
northernlightministries.org
Talk to you tomorrow.
I have still been thinking much about John 15 and verse 12 is one of those verses that should reach out and grab ahold of each and every one of His children. Verse 12 says this, "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." He just said, "if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love." First He tells us what the command is, "to love one another." In Matt. 22, He tells us to love out neighbor as we love ourselves." My neighbor is anyone out there; the person I work beside or the person who owns the house across the street. I am suppose to love that person in the same way I love myself. Okay, I can do that. But verse 12 is different, we are to love one another. One another is our family in Christ. Those others who should be closest to us - other Christians. But those people, we are to love not like I love myself, but the way Christ loves. His love is pure, whole, and complete and that is how how I am supposed to love other disciples in Christ. Can we ever reach that level of love perfectly? - NO! But I can work, I can strive, I can put forth all the effort I can to "love one another" in that way. Jesus stresses this idea to His closest followers in the last few hours He would have a chance to teach them what was most important to Him before He went to the cross and demonstrate what that kind of love was all about. We can all learn from His example.
Please check out our website and pray about whether you will help us make our goal to purchase a lodge in Canada.
northernlightministries.org
Talk to you tomorrow.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Day 37 - Praise the Lord - still going strong
In Texas, where we are at is a sunny day with high around 78 and much wind than the last couple of days. The day would be a great day for riding and I felt good on the bike. I rode 41.5 miles in 2 hours and 3 minutes at an average of 20.1 mph. I am just 3 miles short of 1300 miles for the trip. It is amazing what being over the half way mark does mentally. I've made it this far; and now have the shorter half of the trip left. I am comvinced that I can do it, that I will make it. Sure the knee hurts a little. The back half of of my body still hurts ocassionally and I have had a couple of days I would have rather not gotten on the bike, but I have fought through each of these things and am still going strong. That is something I have really come to know about myself, I am a fighter. I am a fighter against those inner-demons that try to defeat us or knock us back. I am a fighter against those people who are so negative and try and convince it can't be done. And, I know that I am a fighter when it comes to seeing people come to Christ. This trip has just reinforced that in my thinking, in my attitude, and in my life. I thank each of you that pray for me, for our ministry, and for this trip I am on.
Again today, I was thinking about John 15. Verse 11 says this, These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." The "these things" refers to what Jesus has said in chapter 15 up to now. He has said much about abiding in Him; about bearing fruit; and he has given the warning of verse 6 and the promise of verse 7. He gave His disciples and us all that teaching so that His joy can be in us. See, when we put into practice all that He taught us in this portion of Scripture, we can have unbelievable joy. It will be the joy that can only come with knowing Christ as Savior and being in sweet fellowship with Him. And, when His joy is in us, the opportunity is there for our joy to be full. It isn't by accident that joy is one fruit of the Spirit and a fruit we are to bear. Talk to you more tomorrow. Visit our website at northernlightministries.org.
Again today, I was thinking about John 15. Verse 11 says this, These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." The "these things" refers to what Jesus has said in chapter 15 up to now. He has said much about abiding in Him; about bearing fruit; and he has given the warning of verse 6 and the promise of verse 7. He gave His disciples and us all that teaching so that His joy can be in us. See, when we put into practice all that He taught us in this portion of Scripture, we can have unbelievable joy. It will be the joy that can only come with knowing Christ as Savior and being in sweet fellowship with Him. And, when His joy is in us, the opportunity is there for our joy to be full. It isn't by accident that joy is one fruit of the Spirit and a fruit we are to bear. Talk to you more tomorrow. Visit our website at northernlightministries.org.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Day 36 - Week 6 begins
Week 6 begins riding through a couple of small towns; Albany and Breckenridge Texas. we are still about 80 miles west of Fort Worth and looking to be well east of Dallas by weeks end.I started the week out with a 41.9 mile day which I rode in 2 hours and 2 minutes at an average of 20.5 mph. In the area of Texas I am in it was a nice day with a fairly strong wind from behind me and high around 78. People that have been talking to me about my across the land ride have been telling me that once I hit Louisiana, it will be down hill from there. They do not seem to remember that there are no downhills when you are riding a bike on a trainer.
I still have been giving a lot of thought to John 15. Jesus ends verse 9 by telling us to abide in His love. Then He starts verse 10 by telling us how we do that, "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love." See those two things cannot be divided from each other. We so much want to abide in His love but we do not always want to keep His commandments. But these two things fit hand and glove; they go together. The amazing thing about it is that Jesus Himself was our example of what this first statement truly means. He goes on in that verse, "Just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love." I challenge each of you to study the gospels from this standpoint. Study the times when Jesus did exactly what the Father had commanded Him to do. It is easy to do because He followed the Father's commands perfectly. He perfectly carried out the Father's will and His commandments. The more we can do that, the closer we walk with our Lord, the more we follow His commands, the more we abide in His love. I will talk to you tomorrow. Check out our website: northernlightministries.org
I still have been giving a lot of thought to John 15. Jesus ends verse 9 by telling us to abide in His love. Then He starts verse 10 by telling us how we do that, "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love." See those two things cannot be divided from each other. We so much want to abide in His love but we do not always want to keep His commandments. But these two things fit hand and glove; they go together. The amazing thing about it is that Jesus Himself was our example of what this first statement truly means. He goes on in that verse, "Just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love." I challenge each of you to study the gospels from this standpoint. Study the times when Jesus did exactly what the Father had commanded Him to do. It is easy to do because He followed the Father's commands perfectly. He perfectly carried out the Father's will and His commandments. The more we can do that, the closer we walk with our Lord, the more we follow His commands, the more we abide in His love. I will talk to you tomorrow. Check out our website: northernlightministries.org
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