insperation

Stories from the Heart

Windcrest Freshman Triathlon 2012 (First Triathlon)

  I wanted to take a moment  for those of you who like to read and share three stories with you..

Two are an excerpt from a book called “Raising Peanuts In A Gold Field” by Paul W. Powell

      In 1976 a track and file event in Spokane, Washington, a group of nine contestants, all physically or mentally challenged assembled at the starting line to begin a race in their Special Olympics Program. The gun sounded and off they ran down the tract at their own pace. One of the contestants took a tumble and began to cry. The others slowed down and looked back. Then one after the other they all turned around and went back to help up the fallen friend. After they helped them up, they all linked arms and walked across the goal line together. The voluntarily tossed aside their own dreams for winning in favor of Helping a fallen friend. When they a walked across the goal line together the crowd didn’t know what to do. They had never seen anything like that before. Then, ever so slowly, someone began to clap until everyone in the stands was standing and cheering for them.
   Next John McCain’s Christmas message in 2007 was an account of his imprisonment as a P.O.W. in the Vietnam. His plane was shot down in Vietnam, and he was then held as a prisoner in Hanoi for five ½ years. When the Vietcong learned that his father was an Admiral in the US Navy, they decided to let him go free as a Public Relations ploy. But, he refused to be released fro prison unless all his fellow prisoners were released with him… So the Vietcong guards tied his head between his Ankles and his hands behind his back and left him in Solitary confinement. The torture was so severe that it busted his shoulders and to this day he cannot raise his arms above his head.
     One day after he had been treated brutally by his captors, A guard loosened the cords on his arms to give him some relief from pain, then the guard reached down with a stick and drew a cross in the dirt. “When you’re at your lowest there’s always someone who will lift you up.”  Is What McCain Quotes about the situation. There is a youtube clip about it but I didn’t want this to seem like a political add.
     Third Story As many of you know.. I have set this goal of someday running an ironman. Crazzy idea right. That’s what old college friends are good for.. ha ha..  With that being said this last weekend I rand my first Triathlon.  What happened that day is something I did not expect to happen.  As I rounded the 1 mile mark in the 2 mile run course I could see a guy walking back up the course in my direction and I knew he was some who had already finished the race. I just figure he was trying to stretch his muscles back out in cool down mode.. Well as I got closer to him, he started kind of cheering me on, “come on you can do this, don’t stop, don’t give up,, come on you can do this… hey did you know I was right where you were 5 years ago I was a big guy like you are.  Five years ago I was trying to do the exact same thing you were doing… come on you can do this..”  The guys name was Patrick, and even though he didn’t half to, he came back out, and help see me through the end of the race.. I didn’t know him, had never met him before.  He out of his over flow came back out to give more of what he had already been given.  God had help me finish what I started, he didn’t half to do that, but he sent someone anyway to run alongside me  to encourage me and help me every step of the way to the end.
    The Moral is I want to be like all those people I want to be like those mentally challenged people who go back and pick up a fallen friend and help them across the goal line rather than run off and leave them behind, I want to be  Like the guard who loosens the cords that bind people and lifts them up when the are down.(Raising Peanuts in a Field Of Gold) I want to be more like Patrick and help encourage people don’t give up, you can do this, the finish line is almost there.. Your family is there, right around the corner don’t give up you can do this….

It is through loving that we are most like God---not our doctrinal beliefs-----our orthodoxy.  You can be as straight as a gun barrel theologically and as cold as a gun Barrel spiritual. It is not our church attendance, our scripture memory, or our giving. The whole law is summed u pin these words, “we are to love God with all our hearts and love our neighbor as ourselves.”  Vincent Van Gough was quoted saying in his last days, “I wish not that my Legacy be written on a building, or in stone, I wish my legacy to be written on the heart of God.”

      So today I ask you, have you went back to help your friend up who has fallen down?

Have you loosen the cords on a captive to set them free?

Have you went back with you cup that overflows to share with someone, “don’t quit, you can do this, keep going your almost there”?

I pray that you have shown God the great love that you have for him, and shared that love with those who are around him.   Father be with those who have taken time to read this article, hear their hearts cry.. some of them need someone to come along side of them and cheer them on through the circumstance they are experiencing right now, So father please.. send people to do just that, help them to know through those people and through there word.. to keep going... not to quit... to endure the race they have begun... cheer them on Father and help them to know you are there with them.. Allow them to feel your presence and be inspired by you Father... 
          Father for some of them they need to go out out with the cup you have filled and allow it to spill on to the lives of others..Father help them to bless others, encourage them, strengthen them, and may the Love you have given them inspire others to continue on and not give up and bring honor to them and even great honor to you.. May that always know it you who has given them this great gift...  Father please come and speak to us, move us Father, help us to grab a hold of the life you have given us, and help us to thrive with a great zeal for what has been laid before of us, and help us father to be responsible with what you have given us and be able to bring honor to you with our lives.. Father please do all these things in the name of your son Jesus.. Amen..

  

(The italicized writing is quotes or lines of thought from the book, “Raising Peanuts In A Gold Field”)

Scotty Smith

Week 17 & Aliens

          Had to start off with what happen in Roswell from week 16 ALIENS.... ha ha  ha haaa.  I was really excited about the thought of breaking 1000 miles there, doing at least a 50 mile ride for the first time an........  the main purpose of going to Roswell was to help family move.... Lets just say I pretty much stick to my purpose the best I can when I can.. Week 16 saw one 22 mile day, and a good 4 days of unloading a semi truck & uhaul trailier.. even though i didn't track my work during this.. (although i thought about it just to see how far i walked by the end of everyday) i move little over a ton of boxes. good upper body work out!.. 

  I had fun being with Family, and we Got to take a day to play some of my Favorite sport... Frisbeeeeeeeee Golfffffffff......
           Yep Roswell has 2 courses. I only Got to play at one.. back to the work out right!   Monday I got up early like normal and it was a crisp morning for sure...  I went up 285 North, then took 70 West then I hit 380 West...    if any one ever wants to Cycle in Roswell do it early in the morning and the route i just gave you is incredibly smooth road... it was nice.  I do wish the roads here in my south Texas area were that smooth.   I did not get to head west into the mountains on 380 like I wanted to... i barely got out of the city limits but hopefully the next time I go, I will be able to accomplish that bigger trek...
            So all though the 1000 mile mark still eludes me, that is OK i will get there.. the important thing was to take time help family & be an asset to my loved ones.. That  trumps any half crazed personal goals that I have for sure..    

              sooooo slow start to this week.. like so many of my friend here in Texas getting ready for races we had *******thankfuly****** bad thunderstorms blow through with some Tornado's and Hail... Hey if it rains here in Texas we need it.. so bring it on.. its another thing to sing praises about like being with family.. My agenda is so unimportant compared to the water our people need hear in Texas.. and Yes we do need rain that bad...
   also i tell you what the last thing i really want to do is be caught in a Hail storm here in Texas also..  Nor  do not have a stationary bike or want one... so today was my first day to get out again, yep i am a couple of days behind but oh well. it felt really good to get out.. i am going to try to start doing something new this next month and run during my lunch break. want to get used to running in the heat. since i bike early in the mornings and make an extra step to pushing my self a little bit more. i am getting ready for April 28 my first Race.. The Freshman Triathlon... whoooooo... i get nervously excited just thinking about it...   I love to compete and I really enjoy the idea of Racing for a change.. I know i will be a challenge for a whale of a man like me, but i look forward to making new friends and pushing myself to go faster in all three areas then i have before....
            and the only Aliens i saw in Roswell were on signs.. ha ha.. i meant to take a picture by one to post, but that didn't work out. you will just have to take my word at it.
            Last but for sure not least the spiritual aspect of things.  so many days i wake up and wonder, "what in the world am i doing not just in pushing my self to work out but also personally, emotional, & spiritually:"  Thankfully Morning times are a great place to focus and pray. I want to encourage you to have your priorities in line as well. Mine is God, family, me & then other family & friends.   i do the best i can to try to keep them that way but there are alot times when i get that order of things all messed up.  
       I wanted to take a moment and pray for those who are taking time to read through the blog.. with that being Said, have a great week, i will catch up with yall soon, now let me pray for you..
         Father I lift up the person who is taking time just to catch up on a friendship right now, or maybe the person i have not even met yet.. I ask that you would speak to their heart, that you would come along side of them and speak to the difficult circumstance that they are dealing with, walking through, or even in the midst of.  Give them wisdom and discernment in this area. Lead them to the right answer at the right time, and at the right place. Also Father i pray that as they take time to read you word that you speak life into them, give them a great hope in you, and fulfill that hope with your word, you life, and your great love that you have for them.. help them as they have tried to seek out your favor and hear your Voice Father. speak to them in such a way they can't help but know that it is you who is speaking to them... God help them as they press on towards their goals, their hopes, and their dreams. Father i pray that they are things that they have brought before you and you have placed them on their heart because you want to do something and reveal to them the great care & love that that you have for them.   Father please do these things in the name of your Son Jesus.. Amen....

ok guys don't give up, don't quit, maybe rest some.  Get back up, and keep pressing forward.  you set a goal that you have prayed about, and as long as God is still allowing you to press forward then do so... just because the going gets hard it doesn't mean you should quit!!!!
Get up, get out, & get Going...
          thanks for you friendship and support and most all you prayers.
   
Scotty
             

Ramping Up to 1000 miles

 Come some time this next week I will be breaking 1000 total miles between swimming, cycling, & jogging.  I still but can't help to think about it.. but now also I am drawing closer to entering my first race.  The Freshman Triathlon
Tri-Sition Area It is April 28th. The link is https://www.formstack.com/forms/RedemptionRP-windcrestTri2012

Windcrest Freshman Triathlon - Formstack

www.formstack.com

 

 200meter swim, 10 mile cycling, and 2 mile run...   it's crazy just to think of it....  I am waiting on some information back before I register but as i do i will explain my though process, me registering, and posting that i have finally actually registered for my first race.. my heart is kind of racing as i think about it now.. 

 

   But not as much as my heart races when i think about the things that God is doing in my life.. right now i have the things i do daily to help come along side of our people in prayer & support, our community of Law Enforcement officers God has opened the door for me to build a great friendships with, but also the possibly of Going to India in the Fall.  Possible will be preaching in villages, doing open street preaching & baptisms, and visiting orphanages. In talking with my Pastor friend David it is very exciting to hear the work that God is doing in India.  Even to the point he is calling men & women unto himself via dreams and vision without people having heard the word of God, heard and evangelist or even have been told by a Christian of who Jesus is.. God is calling them to come to follow him, and they are seeking out the church to follow Christ.  It is an amazing story of the work God is doing.. and like Pastor David had shared with me, if God is doing these things around us, how much more should we be willing to join God where he is working in the hearts of people.. Amen... 
         there was a young man who kept having a dream that a man would come and tap on the shoulder to wake him up and as he was waking up he would hear the man say, "Come & Follow me" the young man continued to have these dream for days. until he could stand it no longer. He went to his dad who was in the midst of his Hindu prayers. Afraid that his dad might shun him and disown him, he dared to bother him in the midst of his Prayer time because of this persistent awakening vision he was having.. He said, "dad.. dad... i have had this man coming to me in my dreams, and it is like he is real.. he taps me on the should to wake me up, but as he does, i wake up and find that he is gone, but i hear him saying, "come & follow me".. dad i do not know what to do.. i do not know who this man is.. can you help me dad, who is this man?"  He dad says, "son i know who this man is only because he has started to come to me, and ask me to follow him as well in my dreams to."  "ohhh dad please, you know who he is, tell me.... tell me... tell me who is this man that comes to us."  his dad answers, "son i think it is Jesus the Christ but i do not know him, we should go down to the open baptism down at the market close to the church and listen to what they have to say about him, maybe we can follow him from there."  Those to men came down to where David's church does the open presentation of the gospel and listen to who Jesus was, and immediately, they said, "we want to invite him into our lives, follow him, and be baptized..." wow... then they took the time to share this story with Pastor David what had happen...

          that just gives me chills every time i have the chance to share that with someone.. to Hear our God at work.  I continually pray along side of you, that our God will allow us to be continually apart of his work no matter where we are, no matter where he calls us to go, no matter what lot in life he gives us to have.  prayerfully we will be like those men, "Lord we seek you out to answer your call to follow you, where do we go."  
      have a great night see you at the 1000 mile post... whooooooo!

       triathlon

Week 14: if you look like a whale.....

  the great thing about me being a whale... is that i am starting to swim like one... whoooo
i finally was able to swim up to 2 miles.. 60 laps in the pool in 1hr & 35 min.... ahhh man... that is so exciting.. now i can keep up my swim once a week, i really need to focus back in on my running & cycling.  i have not pushed my self past the 35 mile mark on the bike.. you saw last time i changed out the tires (i went to slicks) for a mountain bike that makes a huge difference.. a 30 min difference in time.. i shaved it off from 3 hours on 35 miles to 2 hours & 30 min for 35 miles...  i really have 50 in the back of my head, i really want to ride that and get it in..  that will be a goal for this next month i think.. to get in a day when i hit 50.. if i can get my speed up more i might can get to where i am doing... ever since i have had the blow out on the pedals i have not gotten in to a consistency again.. and swim days breaks that up too which is kind of crazy...  i am going to try with a friend this week to ride 11-15 miles then run 3-4... and the run will be from a point A to a point B.  so i think that will be fun to do.... i am excited about not running in a circle.. ha ha.. the simple things in life right...
                         Working out is so spiritual... i will not be able to say this enough.  i can not being to tell you how i really enjoy the alone time and prayer time when i ride or swim or run... but i can't begin to tell you how terrible of a mental attack that it is as well.  i forever am getting slammed with just random thoughts of Sin through out my work outs, and i have to some times just focus on one thing about God..  right now i always come back to the four Cherubim who surround the throne.  and they praise God saying, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God almighty who was, and is, and is to come."     some times i have to refocus, or what Paul says, "capture our thoughts" or what i say...." tie them up, and pray they sink to the bottom of the pool".. ha ha...
               hey it's not easy but keep trying...  Don't give up, keep moving forward..  please know that i have not gotten to where i am... i stared with just riding my bike 3 loops a day where i lived.. that was only 2.4 miles then i would walk 2 loops.. but i did that 6 days a week..  yeah i had a sick day, or my pedals were blown out, or i was insane for getting out in the weather that i got out in, or no way am i getting out in that kind of weather.. ha ha..  just..... don't.... quit.....  i may not reach iron man this year.. but maybe next year.. but i will reach it... right????    right!!!!!  catch up with you more soon.. thank you for the comments, the post, the repost, the tweets, and the likes on Facebook. yall are some great friends to have, and prayerfully you know that you are not the only one where you are.. we are in this to-gather.

          Scotty (great red giant)... ha ha 
             

Week 12: Rebellion

My body and mind have struck out against me this past two weeks.. Although greatfully I have made some great strides in my swiming (46 laps in an hour) Everything else has been falling apart.. One of my pedals has blown out, with limited income, I just have to wait to replace it.. Running is free right... My body and mind says sleep is too.. Ha ha...
I want to ride that's help work towards the runni g, but who knows adding the swim element might have actually help my running??? Ha ha wishful thinking..
Weather, and mental capabilities or lack there of over the past week have hampered me.. Prayerfully I can pull out of this anguish..
Crazy flip side!!!!
Spiritually alot of things have come togather.. Have started to pray about traveling to India and had great conversation with a new friend who is the brother of a old friend from college that is a pastor in India.. I had the blessing of talking to Jim via phone today for the first time.. Was awsome.. Had an encouraging word from a friend from church that playfully told me, "keep up the ironman" Thank you for that seriously I quirkily felt good.. No looking for more adds boys just the jest was recived well for sure..
So physical and mental slumps happen and is verry discouraging....
Thank you Father for the spiritual encouragement father.. The hope in continued service for you and along side of your people, forgive me for my stumbles as a man who is weak, is sinful, who is so easly dissuaded.. I am weak father... You ultimately are my drive and my focus of you has been insanely difficult as I battle my flesh Father.. Please Father allow the Holy spirit to continually over take me, wash over me, speak to me, guide me, push me.. Please father help me to be a better sin to you.. One who embraces the hard road ahead, instead of one who hesitates and turns away from it.. Please Father as lame as it sounds I can't even respound to your live verry if you don't help me respond to it.. Please Father help in the name of your son Jesus..... Amen

As always just letting you see I am human, I strugle emensly, and verry often proably get it more wrong then right.. But even with that said.. I can not give up, I can not let go, some how I have to move forward.. Some how.. Some how..
Sorry for grammar it's me, sorry for spelling.... That's me, and for weird words that don't... Ha ha ha that's me writing this from a cell phone...
Don't give up, keep moving forward... We gave to with the help of our God move through these circumstances and try to over come... Yesssss overcome
Sorry it's been so long, and it's so late.. See y'all soon
Scotty

Week 9 & 10 unplanned rest.... it helps sometimes :0)

  Warm up: wow, it has been incredible feeling to get to a point where I can ride a bike 20 miles in 1hr & 45 min.  i know, i know it still slow right,  but i remember when it almost took me 3 hours to ride 20 miles.   I pushed for 40 miles last week but because of my work scheduled i could only hit 34.97... i know i know .03 short of 35.. ha ha. that's what happens when you Mile tracker is in you pants and not mounted on your bike.. so for your newbies out there... the soon you can get it mounted on to you bike, the less time you will have recorder like i have of being short of a goal you were trying to reach.. my mistakes may become your wisdom :)
         Advertise something:... Ha ha Check out Map my Fitness it is a great place to log you work outs, it can sync with you heart rater monitors, smart phones, and you can edit from a Real web site when you get back home to you computer. I really like the app end of it..
      
               Experience: The Past two weeks i have experienced two days of late nights for Good reason, (Having a Foxy wife) spending quality time with the family, but in the process it left me with 2 consecutive weeks of no activity, bummer? actually not really... yes i didn't get any work out it, but when i picked up the Day after those 2 extra days of rest.. i felt incredible and picked up major momentum in my Times in what i did.  but i really had to push my self on that third day, and with the help of my wife sometimes, "as i hit the floor" to get out of Bed and really keep after it. It was easy to think, "what am i doing, should i get up?"  the answer is Yes...  yes get you lazy bum out of that bed an push your self to get dressed, quit draggin you bottom and hurry get some protein in you body and some water and start on time...
      
My Tips: one of the biggest things helping me right now is getting ready the night before.... laying out the clothes, checking my bike my, my shoes, my coat, my heart strap.. checking the weather for the next morning...Getting food & Drink ready.... Ect....  I also encourage you to start taking some time of looking out what morning foods are best for you before you start your work out.. for me peanut-butter & honey... just as is.. i use do at least a table spoon of each mixed to gather really good, and eat it just like that.. mmmmm
      
  Spiritual:  last but not least.. prayer time has been great...  i pray about what i should pray about.. i know it sounds weird right, but how else are you suppose to pray when you want to pray about the things you want God for you to pray about???? you ask him.. so that is what i do...  one of the things for me lately that i have really enjoyed focusing on is God himself.. the 4 angels around the throne.... "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God almighty who was, and is, and is to come"  there is something about saying that phrase out loud.....
         i am  not going to lie to you... i don't start glowing, and i don't sprout wings when i say that.. matter of fact my mind usually can not stay focused for long and i start fighting my sinful thoughts about things that same to race into my head even more so then my ability to take time and just Focus on God... it gets down right  sad some times... how in one minute i be really wanting to worship my Creator of the heavens and earth, and in the next flash be so consumed with thoughts of selfishness, sinfulness, failures...  The War within ourselves continues to rage on right... just know as i continue to battle to through these things in my own life, that your not alone..  we all have things we have to fight against, things we have to try to work through and prayerfully some day overcome.. i know, i know, it seams like we never will be able to but we will, and if for some reason we always struggle with it.. when God calls us home we can rest in peace knowing for sure, God will not allow to pursue us any more.. it will be finished.. and prayerfully our not giving up in the small battles even though we get whipped some times... we will not loose the war..  we know this.. God has show us the end.. he over comes and makes a place for us.. so don't give up, don't give in, and continue to push for another day to fight, to love, to give joy, to give assistance too, to empower, and to change the lives of those who are around us through the mercy & grace that has been so compassionately bestowed upon us the sinners. 
   come on get up, lets not quit, one more Lamp post we can make it, one more mile you can do it, one more mail box before we got to walking, one more lap in the pool, one more person that receives that can find the gift of mercy & forgiveness in you.... in us.. with God's help we can do this.. don't....... give...... up...... come on............................................

push at 25

     hey so it was Tuesday and i really wanted to push my self.. i wanted to see how far i could make it in an hour,  my goal was to try to do 25 miles in 2 hours..  when i realized that ironman biking is a 20-30mph sport and i am only doing 10mph... that rang a bell  a really loud bell you could say i really, really, really, really, have alot of work to do... so i tried pushing harder this time.. and thankfully i had made it to the McCoy cut off and was on my way back before the 1 hour marker went off.. whoooooooooo i can not begin to tell you how excited i was... at one point when i check my speed i was keeping up a 12mph pace.. when i finished the route i had finished with a 11.6mph pace.. i little disappointing, but really stoked at the same time because i made it back to the house before the second hour maker had went off on my alarm... man... that is totally cool...  it was amazing feeling to reach that kind of goal.. i think if i can hit those goals Thursday and Friday as well then next week i might actually try to hit 30 miles in 2 hours if i can..
               I have been taking time to pour over Isaiah 46 lately.. God is the God of all. He declares that over his people and the earth. i can help but think through that and pray through that on my rides... i pray and pray and pray God would come speak to me like he did the prophets of old, not that i am a prophet by any means, but i seek out his voice in the early mornings none the same.. i have really focused lately on Jesus Blood covering my sin, and that in My God's sight i am blameless because of that, and because of that i have been asking him, even saying to him in prayer, "lord my sins are covered, i am a Son, Jesus died so that i could be called that, please father as a Son come and speak to me, allow me to hear your voice give me Directions God as a son of your please Father speak to me."  i share this so you to know that i desires the things that you do. God still speaks through scripture to us, but i have a longing for him to give oral direction to my life, to help me be even more deeply in love with him then i could ever imagine, in turn praying that that too would help me to refrain from the sin that traipse through out my life that i too fight against as well. 
         keep going, don't quit, we can do this, through God's grace, His power, and our tenacity... push keep going, and reach the goal you have set, and set another goal.  don't give up and be consistent.

Coyotes = Motivation: Week 8

        Whoooo  I did 30 miles on Sunday.. 2.54 hours... yeah that is on a Mountain Bike..  lots of drag and lots of noise..  that brings me to the wild pack..
          I was heading down to the Campbellton cut off which is 15 miles from my house along the access road. i hit the McCoy cut off and was really excited about the next leg until about a mile into on a down hill... have you ever heard a baby rabbit get caught by a dog before.. they kind have a squeaky scream to them... and that was exactly what my bike started to sound like.  Really that's no big deal to me, my bike often sound like that as i get later in to routes.. but on this day that was the worst thing it could sound like.. ha ha.. I grew up in the country, i have been around alot things, even been out when some coyotes have been out, but this bunch of coyotes i heard that were not to far from the road, sounded like a pack of 20+..  needless to say sounding like a baby rabbit being caught in the middle of no where armed with just a pocket knife that I carry, didn't seem like the place to pick a stand against a bunch of Coyotes... ha ha i know some other routes that are in town the could help me accomplish the same thing..
             so with that in mind.. i turned the bike around, and boogied up a really big hill.  it was great motivation for me to peddle faster that was for sure. it was about a mile before i didn't hear them any more..
so the next time you are out cycling in the early morning hours or evening hours and you don't feel like you have enough motivation, just don't oil you bike down, or carry a small sound device that plays the sounds of a rabbit being caught by a dog, and you can have some Coyotes give you some motivation to move a little bit faster..
          it has been a great Sunday, and feel really good about accomplishing the goal of 30 miles and keeping a 10 mph pace.. that is until we figured out that to do 115 miles in an iron man you have to keep closer to a 20-30mph pace.. so yeah i have some work to do to really push my self.
          this continues to be a great time of prayer for me, and just speaking to God and asking him to come and speak to me give me direction, insight, and to fall more deeply in love with him through out my day.  I try to focus on that the most before my my drifts off to other prayer request and or to some foreign land of thought that is random in my head as i push up and the down the hills.
                 again i want to encourage all of you.. i have not gotten where i am today so far by make huge adjustments in my life... my goal still is consistency, it's not to loose weight but go the  distance, then after distance it's a better/quality time within that distance.  the other half of the goal of consistency is not to give up, not to quit, to keep going.. I don't know what your goals are for the new year, but keep going, do not give up, be Consistent, and most importantly pray through the goals you have set before yourself to make sure they are the Goals that God wants you to try to accomplish.. don't give up, you can do this.. aaaaaarrrrrrrooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ! even if it takes a little Coyote motivation... ha ha.

Honk, big eyes, just don't.......

Hey welcome to week 6.... I am sorry I didn't post on week 5 I was out of town in the country, and my mom is still on dial up.. "there should be a law against that right" ha ha ha

Honk: so I was back at my parents week and I flirted with 20 miles a day... Wolfffff man was I glad I was on vacation.. The first day I came up short, but I was at the bottom of what though was a huge hill.. Ha ha not as big as the one I had to climb getting back home.. Ha ha... One of the coolest things that happen was a trucker Honked at me.. It wasn't , "hey get of my way honk", it was a, " hey man keep going, don't give up" kind of a Honk.. Man that pushed me into my 21 mile a day.. Is was stellar../ it's crazy how a little bit of encouragement goes such a long ways.. Too bad we as Christians aren't trying to tell people, "you can" in stead of, "your never gonna make it" so for all those who honk a atta boy honk!! Especially that trucker an another little black car! You guys rock thanks so much for being a encouragement in that way..

Big eyes: That starts week 6. Sooooo I had gotten up to 20 miles in week 5... Dude at this point the last thing I want to do is get out of Bed and start my ride in the mornings.... Seriously, some mornings are cold, windy, cold and windy (ha ha ha), and sometimes a late start.. Soooooo heading to McCoy exit and back is 23 miles.. My eyes were big... Like at the table too big.. (you know you eat to much) when the down hill part to that kicked off  i knew i was going to have to come back up. i kept thinking, "maybe i should come turn around now.. no, no, no, i have to keep going" finally here it came McCoy exit one mile.  "I made it!!!!!!"
    it felt great getting the 23 miles in for two days.. made the 13 miles today easy..  i had gotten some running shoes during our 14 year anniversary spree yesterday so i had to try them out right...
       so i ran/jog/walked 1.6 miles after the 13 mile ride.... not a great start to running, but hey it's a start..
Just Don't........ quit:  That speaks for it's self..
         the spritual aspect that really spoke to me today as i was praying was this: a young man that had come to our church for some community service hours took his life here recently and his family as asked me to do his funeral. When I had heard by what had happen was was sadden in my sprit over this. From the time i had spent working along side of him some, i come to admire his work ethic, and his personality.  Seem like a great young man still just trying to seek out direction.   This also made me think of the word Akita which is from the boy scout days of Order of the Arrow (long story)..   Akita means leader that comes along side of & helps serve. As i thought about this young man i thought, "could i have been a better Akita to him during the time he was here, could i have worked along side him  more, and could that have made a better difference in his life, could there have been one more sentence i could have spoken that would have given him more hope then he had to stay instead of go?"   I know i feel like many that find themselves in this place. I do know he had a choice, and yes i know i could never make the choice for him.  Even Jesus is grieve in spirit over things, when he saw the city, when he came upon the widow and her Son was in the casket, Lazurs, & so forth, i can't help but be sadden as well. Wanting more for a young man who felt that he had nothing else to live for and just wanted it to end. This is not my first funeral of someone who has committed Suicide nor will it be my last i suppose, but Now prayerfully this young man knew Christ and can find the peace he so desperately was searching for even though it was before God was willing to call him home.     

As you finish this off today, i don't know where you are, but please don't quit, don't give up, keep calling out for help, but just don't give up prayerfully one of us around you will finally understand, or finally be able to share the words you were looking for, or be able to pray or share a piece of scripture you feel that you just can't find, But most of all, Prayerfully, it will be God's voice, His words, his love, and His presence that will help you the most in the midst of where you are.  "Just don't quit"
            Scotty

(this article is meant to help people through a process of Grieving, Please do not use this as a place to post about where you think people are or are not.  Even truth used in the wrong way Bring harm we see that when Satan tried to use the Truth of God's word against Jesus during the time of the desert. i am not saying that there is no accountability for actions, but i am saying there is a chance of hope in God's word, and prayerfully this will help bring a great light & hope in Christ to others who have not found it yet. please be considerate of that, thank you.)

almost wanted to...... nope! didn't do it.

          ok so another comment about the wind, and i wonder how many times my tittle will say that, or i will think i so want to use that tittle again... yeah i came close to putting my foot down on a hill.... i went 15.4 today.. i increced my aveage speed from 10mph to 10.4mph... i really thought i had done worse by the time i got back.. the north wind had really whooped me over  when i was coming back into town..
          +++Sand-Drops++++  ha ha what is that... huge piles of sand left by sand trucks that have pulled over on the side of the road that are halling sand for the Fracturing process going on down here in south Texas... i almost plowed right into one this morning...  they are about 1.5 tall and maybe 2 foot wide.. first when i came on the first one i thought it was a piece of plastic as i ziped by.. but as i was going up hill i spoted some more of them.. and thought, "thank you Gdod for not allowing me to just hit that one ealier" i would of been in the ditch for sure had i hit one of those head on....    i am really surprised at how safe all the people are on the road.. i have been greatful.. the traffic passing me (even though i am riding shoulder)  have been moving into a far right lane away from the shoulder when passing me.. 
         during my prayer time in the midst of things this morning i didn't connect as i did in the past, matter of fact i had a real hard time trying to focus on God and praying.. i really was fighting my sinful, evil, and vile heart this morning... how in the world does God forgive us when are hearts ares so evil in actions, and in ways.  it was such a hard fight to get to a point of prayer this morning... and when i did it mostly consistently coming to God telling him of how dark my heart is, and asking Him, "how lord do i move this more out of my heart, and move more of you in..."   yes i know it's His Word in our lives that helps us to combat these times, thoughts, and desires in our life.  i am just allowing you to see, i am a man just like you, i struggle, and often i too encouter the same struggles, thoughts, & actions i have to battle against like you... i was able to stave alot of them off today, but some still creep through..  but don't quit, don't give up, keep working on what you have, and continute to move forward the best that you can...      it never hurts to take time after you spent some time in prayer to call a friend and ask them to pray with you during times like this.. that's why we are the body of Christ, that's why we are hear to help each other during the dark times..
              have a great night... and thanks to my "foxy wife" for helping me get up out of Bed to start my day this morning, and she had gently reminded me, "the alarm is going off, aren't you going to work out"  thanks for not letting me quit before i even got started today.. i love you Faith & you are the best. thank you..
       Scotty

Rhythm, Rain, crazy train, and a blow out

Crazzy Trains this morning, I get back to that in a minute...
I felt great today.. I got more in a rhythm today I think.. 2nd day of my 14 mile route and at the half way point I wanted to go more.. I had to hold myself back... Although I Pushed a .8 out of it...(14.8) and I ha to remember I don't want to quit, I want to be consistent.. Even with two traffic stops for crossing roads or trafficked lights and taking off my glasses for the pouring rain this morning,, I still shaved 1 mints off the rout.. Pulled a 6 minute mile average speed 10mph.. I was excited to go further and shave a minute off my time..
Conditions This was the whole reason I moved to north and south.. The wind was strong this morning..: the Rain was coming Down, and it was awsome...
train man as I come in close to the last mile there is a train crossing.. Well the trains decided to through a Kim in my plan and I had to hit the river park area.. Roads at more narrow and this broke my Rhythm a litte which was the
Most annoying thing.. Oils field traffic is thick down here for sure..
blow out on my shoes of all places.. It's my oldes pair of shoes I had I my arsenal.. A good friend of mine gave them too me.. It was funny and it was in my after walk ride(which will turn into a run later I my training) I was walking and though I had stepped on a big drink bottle, it was kind of dark, could not Belive I missed it.. But ok... Ha ha come back around for my second lap and what did I see... The bottom of my shoe.... Ha ha ha ha had those shoes since 2004... Thanks Scott they were a great lasting gift...
last but not least, the spiritual aspect on the last of my second lap this morning I felt like the Holy Spirit really allowed me to focus on God and express gratitude towards him and praise him in a way I have not gotten to in a while.. It was verry refreshing and memorable time.
Don't quit, don't give up.. Keep moving forward.. It's about consistantcy in what you are doing, don't worry the more you practice the better you will get, and then the more you will be Able to do...
Merry Christmas....

4th week kick off 14.1miles

Man   do i feel like a million dollars... grrrr,
         it was hard, it took me longer then i wanted to, i wanted to almost get off the bike once, and i thought, "you can't get off your bike, you some kind of sissy" ha ha... i beat myself verbally back into it, sang some Kids hymns & Christmas songs "Jesus is the Rock of My salvation, His banner over me is love"   & pushed.... grrrr it was a push for me too,  and i ended up doing 14.1 instead of 12 for what i planned... i wanted to make sure i got 12 in didn't want to risk it, so i pushed passed another hill just to make sure...
         can't wait to see what tomorrow holds.. it's a great day.. now how home to the family after some work... and let my body get some rest and get ready to do at least the 14.1 again... i am excited...
          don't give up, don't quit... 
if you have a chance go to  http://www.mapmywalk.com/profile/11295424/ and check out it's free app and is awesome... friend me and lets encourage each other... 
have a great night everyone.... Merrrrrrry Chrissssttttmasssssss!
Scotty

Day of rest, Getting ready for 4th week

   I have been consistantly moving forward.. this next week i am going for 12 miles a day on the bike. moving my work out to 1 hr to 1:15-1:30 long  start getting up now at 5:15am or 5:30 am now...   looking forward to seeing how the new route will be i will be moving from going east & west to going to North and South.. this will definatly more difficult this time of Year, as well as i know that i am increasing elvation of my ride next week as well.
            it's so weird pushing my self in this way, thinking of next week goals, and the mental battle begains now... "dude do you really want to do this"  i still have some good well meaning freind telling me, " Scotty you are crazy and you will never pull this off, and that you will never going to achive this goal..."
         i have no idea how far i will get, but i know i will not give up, i am moving forward, i don't know if i will achive this in a year, or 5 years, but i am moving forward to what God has instore for me as i start this adventrue, prayerfully He will allow me to continue, to push forward and make a differance in my life, the life of my family, my close friends, and my church Family...
         to all of you have set a goal, and there have been people been telling you to, "quit, give up, your never gonna make it."  let my tell you this....
                               "Never Give up, you can do it, continue to pray about the goal you set before you, and Don't give up, Never, never, Never, Never give up on the things that God prayerfully have set on your heart, there is a reason He gave you the Goal to being with, you can do it, He will not give you More then what you can bear, find the silver or gold lining in the moments along the way, because there are plenty of Dark days to come...  dig Deep, pray hard, and keep moving forward.... There is a great Strength that indwells in you through the Holy Spirit.. Father i would like to pray for the person who is reading this who might feel like giving up, who doesn't want to continue on, who feel the weight of things against them... help them to hear your voice, help them to since your spirit and guide them, speak to them, inspire them and please Father help them to reach out and acomplish the task you set before them... Father please do these things for them in the name of your son Jesus... Amen...."
            have a great day of Rest... Merry Chirstmas... and don't give up... you can do this
Thankfully i have not give up yet... i fell a million times better, and like the movie Meet the Robins "Keep Moving Forward"

faster

so this morning... yeah i did not want to get past the .8 mark.. legs hurt some, i quit using my ear phones... ohh that is so hard...

my body is starting to get used to shifting the bike. i think it has 22 gears, i am using 3 of them.. ha ha...

i did better and ended up pushing my self more... i increased my speed i got the 6.3 miles on the bike & the .8 on the speed walk, but I had made up time on my bike this time. so i got to tack on another .8 on the speed walk so i got to bump from 7.1 yesterday to 7.9 today.. so we will see what happens tomorrow..

don't quit, don't give up... doubt creeps in and fight it back.. quitting was running through my mind 3/4 of the way through this morning... then when i was the last 1/4 i knew i have to finish and maybe i can do more... then when i got into the walk, i was like, "i can do more i am not going to stop, i am going to do another .8... i can do it... i can do it..." then before i was done the .8 turned into 1.6..

May our God help you turn you last 1/4 into more then you expected..

tomorrow.... 20 min from now..... it will be 30 degrees when i get up to bike and walk... ha ha i would pick the worst time of the year to start a goal... anyone else feel the same way... don't quit don't give up.... we can do it...

We can do all things through Christ who straightens us!!!

2nd week

My Bike

Plan....... Plan...... Plan..... first off this is probably not the way to get ready for an iron man... ha ha ha.. and know that i am not doing this to seek our 1st place. This is a personal challenge to myself first of all, and then secondly beat a friend of man for bragging rights... yep that is you Sam!

where to begin, so my wife went out of town for a week and i have 4 young boys (can't leave alone) did not think of that one.. needed a indoor work out routine in place. tyboe, p90x, push up and setup's... what ever works right.. just know those days are coming plan for it.. i didn't... opps!

So Sunday is my bump up day. I went from ridding 2.3 miles and speed walking .8 miles to riding 6.3 miles & speed walking .8 miles. (again i am 287 6'2" Remember i am Gradually building at this point it might not be the best thing, but part of my goal is consistency & not to quit, even if it pushes my timeline back. i do not intend to give up!) one of the main Reason for this.. Dogs... ha ha.. yeah real logical push.. i would double my work out with a larger loop & a different area because of dogs! some recent new people moved into our neighborhood and have 3 huge dogs. i really thought they were going to clear the fence when they hit it.... and they would have had fresh leg for breakfast... i don't have a concealed license or a hand gun to shoot them if they jump the fence, or i don't want to try to out run them when i am first starting off... so i change my route... and bumped it up... logical right??? ha ha ha.. Glad i did it.. plus who wants to wake up all the neighbors at 5:30am in the morning every morning because of some pesky dogs... not me..

Did great this past Sunday... today whole new story... i am simple minded.... Just keep peddling, just keep peddling, don't stop peddling.. always peddle even if you are going down hill.... peddle! yeah forgot to plug in my phone to charge so no head phones today... talk about a night & day difference. today was somewhat difficult.. the cold weather.... nope, the rain... nope, no music...my dependance almost crushed me today... ***WARNING***
Then I got to thinking about it, make sense why the war boats had drums & why the soldiers had a cadence to march too.... Music empowers the sole, sets a pace.. I finished on Sunday in about 35 minutes, today my finish time was 50min... (some of that is my body fighting back now to with not liking to be pushed more then what i did last week!) Now i see why the iron-man rules do not allow listing devices, i had even thought of putting some kind of small bell on my shoe to help me keep a cadence while i ride & run.. i bet that is against the iron man rules as well.
So yeah i wanted to quit after .8 and just ride around the block a couple of times and call it a day... Thank you Jesus for a brief thought of No... you have to push your self Now, this is where you cross the finish line, or you go home because your a quitter.... I do not want to quit... so i pressed on and thankful that i completed it... i have a feeling i am going to have that battle a-lot for days, weeks, & months to come....
A friend of mine shared a great quote today.. "Why should you continue going after your dreams? Because seeing the look on the faces of the people who said you couldn't... will be priceless." then of course we have some banter that will take place back in forth about who is going to cross the finish line before the other... ha ha...
also i realize that my diet is going to have to change.. i have cut out cokes, but i have this sinking feeling that evil green stuff that i despise so much will have to be a large part of my diet... ha ha.... yeah i know that is coming... I have been so starving through out the day now that i have started to pick things up.....
The Battle..... I will not lie, last week was a bad week... i had one day of anger that was very difficult for me to control... (in part, others should not do this, i take responsibility for my own actions here and no one elses, i have quit taking my Adderral as of a month now i have been off. This is just something personal that i deal with on & off but none the less has become apart of this journey that i am on right now. not right, not wrong, Just different.) I really do not think it has anything to do with that, but i really think it has to do with the spiritual battle that i am up against on a daily basis as I pray along side of our people, and fight my own personal demons that seek to torment me through out the my heart and life. When you make a stand, physically & spiritually get ready all hell is going to break loose against you.
So this is my warning to you right now, if you are setting goals spiritually, if you are setting Goes physically, and you are striving to draw closer to our God.. well, let just say Satan & the other fallen angles just are not going to roll over and play dead for you!!! they hate you, they Hate the God who created you, they hate your marriage, they hate what it stands for, they hate the Word of God, they Hate those who are willing to speak it, they hate those who use it, They Hate your Goals, They have your Spouse, They hate your Kids, they hate your Dog, they Hate your Car.... They Hate you, can't stand you, they think you stink, you smell, you..... don't believe me, take a moment and read "23 Minutes in Hell" and then read the scripture that he give in the back to validate his experience... Dude it is on like Donkey Kong...

• so let me wrap this up with good stuff... Don't quit
• consider the no music factor...... ugggg
• Plan for you spouse being out of town
• push for more.... you can do it...
• don't give up i feel like the million dollar man and i am only doing a little everyday.. be consistent!!!! you can do this!!!
• Sam, what kind of Gatorade you want me to bring you after you cross after me? ha ha thank you... you are truly a blessing as a friend.
• 
  
• Me after the morning Ride... Grizzly man... Grizzly.... ha ha
  
• .

332 days till Ironman

Day 1. I am 38 years old..My official home scale starting weight is 287 I did 2.4 miles on my bike at lunch took 15 min. walked another 30 minutes briskly through out the rest of the day. Had to teach tonight, so i will have to make up more of the time this week. Thank you Amber A. for coaching me about time management and help me set goals.. I will post Amber's info latter this week for anyone looking for a trainer.. thankfully she is a good friend and has been willing to guide me to get a good foundation and a plan in place prayerfully we will be finished with that by this week to lay it out.

Day 2. I got up latter then i wanted to, but at 6:45 i still kicked in to do this.. My 2nd oldest son Robert was up already Cheering me on... Go dad you can do it... So i did a little bit more today... i did the 2.4 miles on the bike then I did .8 at a fast walk.... yeah i know run... ha ha.. i started with Jogging but lets just say i felt that maybe my knee caps were going to drop down to my feet... yeah i think i need to do some more tightening of the old muscle mass to keep things where there suppose to be.. with that being said.. the brisk walk is great. my wife is out of town this week so prayerfully the boys will get there work done and we can had down to the city soccer filed and have some fun (cross training) ahh yeahhhh.. it's easier to run if i have a ball to chase. ha ha...

Ok part of my starting this is to be consistent & not give up. The theory I am going on is to slowly build at first instead of rapid... because i do not want to quit. I could go all out, but i think i would be burned out by day 2 and then i would have to recover from doing all that... i think it's a common mistake we all make sometimes.. so my approach to pain is to over come it in small quantities at a time. Consistent gradual pain i can learn to ignore or work past, but sever on set of crippling pain... well that says it all... i don't want to quit I don't think i can say that enough. From what i read it really gets into the mental battle when it gets into the pain. next aspect which is the most important part of my workout with this morning for me was Repentance... i was not able to get into that zone yesterday. Music... ***** ((((Just a by word... Music helps me to move into this from quickly.... today's song of choice... "Look Yourself" from the group Apologetix & the Cd is Apologetix Classics....)))) as country as I am, as a pastor at a Cowboy Church... i love rap maybe it was the arra that i grew up in i don't know.. but it moves me....****** i don't know what it has to do with me or ADD.. but nothing like a great beat to help me focus in... move past the cares of this world.. but it has to be beats with words that really make me focus on what is the most important... and that is the spiritual aspect...

               God started ripping that wide open today, and I promise you Satan was at work to keep me from getting on that bike this morning..... as I started in i just felt terrible for allowing my self to get to a complacent part of my life physically, spiritually, & emotionally God Forgive me for waiting this long to be moved by your spirit, for not setting a goal, for being apathetic to my life, spiritually, physically, for waiting for so long to push my self, to train, and move past being a light weight to moving to being a heavy weight spiritually and physically... it's hard to hold weeping in as you ride or run..
          i don't what it takes for you my friends but what it ever takes move into weeping over the sin that we struggle with.. and as i moved into weeping and asking for forgiveness i moved into an anger.. not a uncontrollable anger but and empowering anger int he midst of prayer. My mind move past my sin and into praying for my friends and recently a family as come to me asking to pray for there house because they felt a spirit was in the house there haunting them.. I went into prayer over that family and that house, and then my mind moved to another aspects of the lives of those who are around me.. I want to encourage all of you who do no know, or who have not experienced prayer in the midst of working out.. i find it even more exhilarating that i can comprehend or explain.. i know it's not the same for everyone, but for me it's moving.

     Two things I felt was affirmation on this journey. one is that i have started. one of our member brought me an article yesterday about a evangelist who has been battling cancer and started running marathons and his journey in doing that. and in this next year we have been praying that maybe God would open a door for one of as a staff to go to India and see the work that we have been supporting as a church, and possible better understand it. low in behold this evangelist on his front page of the his newsletter had just gotten back from India. Since then a friend of my from college that is from India has been in touch with me over the past couple of months. So who know what God might would have in store...

         This is hard for me, because i have just always felt that i just want what God wants me to do, and i have tried to live a life with no dreams, no ambition then to only sever our God with where He would send me, or with what He would want me to do. i don't want my agenda to get in the way with what He desires for my life. so I prayerfully stumble into the time in my life.. invigorated by the challenge, even though it is personal, but it seams that spiritually it has helped me to feel even more alive... maybe it's because i am headed in a direction. I prayerfully seek a balance through this.. I look forward tomorrows prayer time (yes i pray through out the day for people who request, who come into the office, but that is my start of the day prayer time)... Today I could not help but imagine after my time of repentance that had huge angle wings driving me forward.... I know now you get to hear the weird side of Scotty... ha ha but I love all of you... i look forward to living this life to the fullest beside all of you... May we no longer settle for complacency, me wall all work better together for our God, and may our choices impact the world, and leave a foot print for those behind to follow, and my that foot print scream out loud in compassion and love..... "Jesus....... Lovessssssssssss........ youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu" I will live... i will not quit.... I pray your journey has, is, and will be alive and compelling..

From Fat-Man to Ironman!

Today I am 6'2" and I weight 287lbs. Thanks to one of my Best friends (Sam), a little old school rivalry between the two of us, his sister Hannah and her running the Cozumel ironman this weekend..... we have taken off the gloves and thrown down to run a ironman in a year, and if God willing the Cozumel Ironman this time next year. this is where i plan on sharing how God uses this to impact me with this burning desire to do this, and my physical desire to rebel against this. I have some Good friends that will encourage me along the way i am sure, but most of all i have a Great wife who believes in me. I know that an ironman can be consuming, but i am going to strive to balance my work, family life, and preparation for this the best i can while including my family into it as well... I am hyper and a ball of energy and really looking forward to this.. Scotty