Look Over There!

There's a lot going on over at McMarathon Moments!  I'll be running my first marathon this Sunday.  The hours and miles of training are behind me, now it's time to do it!  You won't see any more posts here until some time next week.  I'll be posting my time and the full experience on McMarathon Moments.

I've also got a contest going over there.  Come guess my finishing time!

A Sweet Memory

On Friday night Les and I went to Universal City Walk.  We ate at Bubba Gump's.  Lt. Dan's Drunken Shrimp with Andouille Sausage, Bourbon Street Mahi Mahi, and Mama's Best Strawberry shortcake.  After all that, we really needed to walk a while!

City Walk is such a great place for people watching. There are also very unique stores.  There was the Flip Flop Shop and the Los Angeles Sock Market.  We sniffed our way into Sparky's where fresh donuts were being cooked.  We passed on the donuts, but enjoyed walking around looking at all the sweets.  Then my eyes landed on:

Flicks!!!  We use to eats these when I was a kid.  These little tubes of chocolate goodness seem to last a long time.  Lucky for us four Fultz kids, they came packaged in four colors so there was no dispute over which tube belong to which kid.

I sent the above picture to Dad and my siblings.  Rick replied with, "These are being made at a facility in Fresno. They bought the rights a few years ago and I met the owners a few months ago and had a nice chat about their product. I have very fond memories of these little pieces of chocolate magic as well."

Do any of you remember Flicks?  What was your favorite candy as a kid?

Tie Your Shoes and Press On!

Until I started training for my marathon, I had never run with an iPod.  As my weekly long runs went from 10 to 13 to 18 to 22 miles, I knew I needed something to keep my brain occupied!  I have quite the variety, but I need fast songs to keep running!  I love slow worship songs, but not when I'm out running.  A couple of weeks ago the phrase "tie your shoes, my dear friend, and press on" kept running through my brain.  I finally asked my friend Mr. Google and the answer was the song "Press On" by Billy Sprague.  Some of you young'uns might not recognize it - it was written in 1993!

It's such an upbeat song, it makes me run faster!  But the words are so real.  Two phrases really stuck out to me while running last Saturday.

"And some days I found faith meant just tyin' my shoes."  When life is at its darkest, just getting up in the morning can take a great amount of work.  The act of tying your shoes says, "I'm going to keep going. I may not go fast, but I will go forward!" 

"I pray your memories will not drag you down, not be anchors but treasures of the love that you've found." Wow.  How memories can affect us.  Memories of blessings and loved ones can bring such joy.  Memories of hard times and losses can bring such pain.  I originally dedicated McMoments and Memories to Mom.  If I think about her battle with cancer, it can be an anchor, but she was a treasure and that is what I choose to hold on to.

PRESS ON

I was down in the valley of the shadow of death
Where the passion for life drained like blood from my chest
And it took more than my will just to take a step
When the compass of hope was gone

In a silence so black that I wished for the blues
Every desperate prayer seemed like Heaven refused
And some days I found faith meant just
Tyin' my shoes
And it was all I could do to press on

Press on me amigo, Press on mon ami
Walk on in the face of the mystery
Though the night hides the light
Through the darkness til dawn...
Tie your shoes, my dear friend
And press on

On the ocean so lonesome I was not left alone
Had some heavenly friends when my heart was a stone
And they carried my heartache and made it their own
When the current of sorrow was strong

(and one said)
"I pray your memories will not drag you down
Not be anchors but treasures of the love that you've found"
And His kind words turned hurt into comfort somehow
And the wind in my sails to press on

So press on me amigo, Press on mon ami
Walk on in the face of the mystery
Though the night hides the light and the journey is long...
Lean on me, my dear friend
And press on

Though the days seem like years...
There may be giants in our fears...
Ah, but they who sow in tears
They shall reap in joy
They shall run and leap for joy!

So press on me amigo, Press on mon ami
Walk on in the face of the mystery...
Though the night hides the light
And the journey is long...
Lean on me, my dear friend
And press on me amigo, Press on mon ami
Walk on in the face of the mystery
Though the night hides the light
And the journey is long...
Tie your shoes, my dear friend
And press on!

Memorial Day

I have never been able to think of the day as one of mourning; 
I have never quite been able to feel that half-masted flags were appropriate on Decoration Day.  
I have rather felt that the flag should be at the peak, because those whose dying we commemorate rejoiced in seeing it where their valor placed it.  
We honor them in a joyous, thankful, triumphant commemoration of what they did.  
~Benjamin Harrison

 

They saw their injured country's woe;
The flaming town, the wasted field;
Then rushed to meet the insulting foe;
They took the spear, - but left the shield.
~Philip Freneau

Twenty One Years

Today is our 21st wedding anniversary!
 

You are the sunshine of my life
That's why I'll always be around

You are the apple of my eye
Forever you'll stay in my heart

I feel like this is the beginning
'though I've loved you for a million years

And if I thought our love was ending
I'd find myself drowning in my own tears

You are the sunshine of my life
That's why I'll always stay around

You are the apple of my eye
Forever you'll stay in my heart

You must have known that I was lonely
Because you came to my rescue

And I know that this must be heaven
How could so much love be inside of you!

Happy 21st Anniversary to my very best friend!  The absolute sunshine of my life!

From Gross To Grace

A post on Kristin Armstrong's blog this morning talked about going for a run when she was mad.  She said, "In an effort to move beyond fire-breathing-dragon status this morning, I did what had to be done. I ran."  She doesn't say how far or how long she ran, but she finally determined it was safe to walk home.

Further on she says, " I have to wonder, how do people who don't run handle their flame?  How else can you get from gross to grace without causing permanent damage?"  Even as a runner, I know the answer is not a good run, but a good prayer meeting.  A good run can help me sort my thoughts, but on my knees is where the true victory happens.

Harder than running a marathon.  Much tougher than competing in a triathlon.  More difficult than climbing Mount Everest.  It's called the taming of the tongue.  The tiny member that is capable of causing permanent damage.

James chapter 3, verses 3-10 has much to say about this subject:

Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.  Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!  And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.  For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:  But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.  Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.  Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

I like how the Message puts it:

A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!  It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell. This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue—it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! My friends, this can't go on.

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer."  Psalm 19:14

Marathon Update

The Ojai to Ocean Marathon is now less than two weeks away.  My training is drawing to a close.  I received this quote from Runner's World this morning:

Training for a race is sort of like a metaphor for life—it shows you how important goals are, it shows you how much you are capable of, it shows you the power of dedication. I've never run 13.1 miles, but I know I can do it. I will do it. 
~Ashley Cadaret, Running: A Love Story, Other Voices blog, Runner's World.com

That's how I'm feeling about the marathon.  I've never run 26.2 miles, but I know I can do it.  I will do it!  I really am excited about completing my first marathon.  I don't know how fast or slow I'll be.  I'm sure I won't break any records, but I will set my own PR (personal record.)

My blogging may be a bit hit and miss the next couple of weeks.  My brain is pretty focused on running, so there will probably be more posts on McMarathon Moments, than here.  Run on over there, I'll be having a contest next week to guess my marathon finishing time.

It's almost summer time.  We're nearly half way through 2012.  Do you have any goals that you set in January that are working well for you?

Contentment

I read this quote the other day:

Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of how much you already have.

As I've pondered contentment, my mind has turned to complacency.  The Free Dictionary defines complacency as:

1. A feeling of contentment or self-satisfaction, especially when coupled with an unawareness of danger, trouble, or controversy.

2. An instance of contented self-satisfaction.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11, "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." But earlier in that same book he wrote, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)

It seems to be a very fine line.  Finding contentment with the things we have, while not growing complacent with ourselves.  Les preached a message a couple of weeks ago about the ten virgins as found in Matthew chapter 25.  They all had enough oil for one day, but the wise had extra oil.  All it took was one day of complacency for the five foolish virgins to be lost.

When it comes to the things of God, more is better!  We can never reach a place that we can say, "I have enough."

10 Healthy Foods that Actually Make You Fat

I received this email yesterday and thought it was worth sharing.  This does not mean you can't eat or drink any of these things, just know that they're not as healthy as they may proclaim!

Teas in a bottle
The bottle might read “health-tea”, but many bottled teas sold at groceries have high sugar or honey content. And since one bottle is equivalent to at least two servings or more, you also double the calorie count – to nearly 200 calories – might as well drink a bottle of soda.

Rice Cakes – you just can’t help them!
Rice cakes may be low in calories and are fat free, however they don’t have much protein or fiber content, which just simply curbs hunger, according to experts. Even if you just eat two or three of these yummy rice cakes that in reality have lots of sodium or sugar, they just add to the calories of your daily consumption plus leaving you craving for something more. Also, they only come in limited flavored types, so in the end they don’t really satisfy you.

Veggie Burgers – vegetables in a burger should be healthy, right?
Well if you avoid eating beef in your burger to prevent consuming cholesterol and fat may be okay, but this depends on the brand of veggie burger that you consume. What you think is healthy may actually be at least 1,000 calories worth. The size of these burgers plus the cheese that binds the veggies together are not at all diet-friendly. Throw in a bun plus ketchup; maybe you’d just prefer a quarter-pounder instead.

Juice – thirst-quenching and refreshing
If for the past year you’ve been taking in your fruit-serving goal in liquid form, this can explain why you can’t fit into this year’s suit! Find 55 grams of carbohydrates or the equivalent of five slices of bread in one 16-ounce bottle of apple juice or OJ. Oh, plus 12 spoonfuls of sugar.

Diet Microwave Meals to help you with your diet
These ready-to-eat dishes may be lean, but they are high in sodium (more commonly known to us as salt) to enhance their taste because manufacturers can’t go for calorie-rich fat for flavor. Since salt attracts and retains water, the end result is puffy arms and legs caused by water retention.

Salads – with your favorite dressing
Fresh, raw veggies are all good and healthy for you and your waist, but not the croutons, the shredded cheese, candied nuts and most especially your favorite dressing mixed with the veggies. All these extra toppings may well be found in a pasta plate. While vinaigrettes may sound a more healthy option, even nutritionists are quick to say that they may not be as fattening as ranch dressings, but their calorie content is also high.

Tofu – another healthy food made unhealthy
When you order tofu at a restaurant, expect it to be deep-fried and served in sauces and calories, sodium, saturated fat and sometimes even sugar. Tofu is a healthy food in itself, but since it is nearly tasteless, restaurants will always find a way to make it more palatable and tasty – at the same time destroying the healthiness in it.

White rice – makes you full and less hungry
Because brown rice contains fiber and white rice does not, one tends to eat more white rice than brown rice in order to feel satisfied. Fiber is what helps one feel full. Also, compared to whole wheat pasta, white pasta almost has no fiber and therefore less filling.

Splenda and other artificial sweeteners
The bad thing about artificial sweeteners is that it causes one to crave for more sweet foods. They may also compromise the good bacteria in your digestive system.

Diet soda – to satisfy the craving for regular soda
Contrary to what it’s supposed to be, every can of diet soda taken can actually increase the chances of being overweight by about 41 percent, according to researchers.

Eat smart!

The San Diego Zoo

I have always loved spending time at the zoo.  Growing up in Fresno, a visit to the Roeding Park Zoo (now the Fresno Chaffee Zoo) was a fun and inexpensive way to spend a day.  As a child I was fascinated by the many animals on display and that hasn't changed a bit!  My appreciation for the mighty Creator who designed each one has increased and I can stand for hours watching the interaction of each group.

When we arrived at the San Diego Zoo on Friday, the sound outside was incredible.  A roar of excited children!  Dozens of school groups were in attendance for field trips and were anxiously awaiting their admittance.  We already had our tickets and were able to get past the throng very quickly.  We decided to take the Skyfari Aerial Tram to the back of the zoo, trying to get ahead of the masses.  It worked out great!

I won't take you to every stop, but here are some of the highlights:

The polar bears.  The statue behind me is 10 feet, 6 inches tall.

This guy is 10 feet, 2 inches tall!  He is massive.  He shares a home with his sister and one other female.  They were all rescued after their mothers were killed in the wild.

I've always loved the big cats!  Lions, tigers, leopards, mountain lions, jaguars, lynx and cheetahs.  They were either pacing or sleeping!

Another favorite of mine are monkeys.  The gorillas seem to enjoy messing with their audience.  They come right to the glass and just as everyone has their camera ready, they turn their backs!  The orangutans give a much better show.  They swing and roll and climb and seem to love to entertain!

These camels had an unusual game of footsie going.  Their front feet are crossed and one was trying to bite the other.

I love watching the graceful giraffes.  The tallest at the zoo is about 17 feet.  This one had to really work to get a drink.  A few more inches and she was on her way to doing the splits.

This panda's nickname is the "Bamboo Eating Machine."  He will cover himself with bamboo and slowly eat his way out!

If you need a bigger cute animal fix, go to my SmugMug page. I uploaded dozens more!

Delayed Gratification

In this world of instant everything - from drive up ATMs, instant oatmeal, and great abs in just 8 minutes a day - delayed gratification is a concept many of us don't care for.  Why save cash when I can just use my credit card?  Why wait for anything.  I want it and I want it now!

It was with great delight that we celebrated my delayed birthday this past weekend.  Four days in San Diego.  Absolutely gorgeous weather.  Perfect company.  Great food.  It was worth the wait!

We spent the entire day Friday at the San Diego Zoo - I've got a ton of pictures to sort through.  I absolutely love spending a day at the zoo.  Staring at the variety of sizes and types, all I can say is God is the ultimate creative genius!

Blog Break

I'll be taking a short break until Monday.  Happy Mother's Day to all you moms!  Enjoy your day, you deserve it.

Book Series Review: Grace in Africa

I just finished reading an incredible trilogy by Kay Marshall Strom.  If you've ever read Alex Haley's "Roots," these books will remind you of that story.  The author did a great job basing her story on historical facts.

The Call of Zulina

Grace Winslow is the daughter of a mixed marriage between an English sea captain and an African princess.  She has never been outside the family compound until the day she escapes and makes her way to Zulina.  She witnesses a human train making its way up the hillside.  Slaves that have been captured, tortured and chained together.  They are brought to Zulina, their final stop before being shipped to America.

Despite being held for ransom, maimed by a runaway slave, and threatened with death, Grace sympathizes with the plight of the captives. She is especially moved by the African Cabeto’s passion, determination, and willingness to sacrifice anything, including his own life, for his people’s freedom. Leaning on the faith of her nanny Mama Muco, Grace risks everything to follow her heart.

The Voyage of Promise

Slavers burst into Grace Winslow’s life with guns blazing and tear her family apart forever. She watches in anguish as her husband is led in chains aboard a tightly packed slave ship bound for America. An old enemy has a more sinister plan for Grace and prepares her for a different kind of servitude in London. But Grace will not be enslaved. And she will not give up on the man she loves. In her determination to be reunited with her husband, she finds God reaching out to her.

The subject of abolition is very prominent in this story.  It was amazing some of the things that were written by slaver traders, covering and twisting the truth for the sake of lining their pockets.

The Triumph of Grace 

This conclusion of Grace Winslow’s fight for freedom carries her from England to America’s Deep South. After learning that her husband, Cabeto, is on a South Carolina plantation, Grace dons a sailor’s disguise and boards a ship headed for America. When her secret is discovered, Grace is locked up in the hold.

In South Carolina, Grace is bought immediately, but soon sold to a man who is not a slave keeper. Moved by her story of perseverance and faith, John Hull makes Grace’s mission his own. Grace now has a dear brother in Christ to help her, but a restored sense of hope does not mean the path to finding Cabeto will be clear—or free of trouble . . .


Without giving anything away, I'll just say that these books were so fascinating!   Heartbreaking at times, as the plight of kidnapped slaves unfolded.  But other times had me laughing out loud, especially when the sailor who survived scurvy tried to adjust to his false teeth!

I got the first two books free for my Kindle, then paid for the third one.  $9.99 for three books was well worth the cost!  If you have a Kindle reader, I'd be happy to loan them to you.

Many times during the books, reference was made to John Newton, an outspoken minister who was against the slave trade.  He also wrote the hymn "Amazing Grace."   Kay Marshall Strom has written a non-fiction book about him called "Once Blind."  When I finished with The Triumph of Grace, I had to read it as well!  When John Newton wrote, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me," no truer words were spoken.  He lived many years as a wretched man.  His life of sin led him down a dark path, but God's grace was on his heels. 

Happy Birthday, Dad!

 A father carries pictures where his money used to be.  ~Author Unknown

 Any man can be a father.  It takes someone special to be a dad.  ~Author Unknown

Hope your day is great, Dad!  I love you very much!

Marathon Training Update

For those of you who don't regularly check my marathon blog - I ran 22 miles today!  That is my longest training run.  Four weeks from tomorrow I'll be lining up to run 26.2.  You can read the mile by mile recap here.

Helpful Tip

In the past few years, chocolate milk has been recognized as a great post exercise recovery drink.  My latest Runner's World magazine had the following in the "Ask Miles" column.

Dear Miles,

If chocolate milk is a good recovery drink, a glass of water and a brownie does the same thing... right?

Absolutely.  And if one brownie helps you recover, then two brownies help you recover twice as fast.

Excuse me while I whip up a batch of No Pudge brownies!

Some an Hundredfold, Some Sixty and Some Thirty

I think it was Wednesday night that Bro. Kelly said something in passing that really stuck with me.  He was talking about going through life with the baggage of past sins.  He then said, "Thirtyfold people spend 70% of their time dealing with the baggage on their back... "

He was referring to the parable of the sower in Matthew chapter 13.  Verse 8 says, "But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold."  I had never thought about it that way.

Bro. Kelly continued preaching and didn't expand on the thought, but it stuck with me.  I keep asking myself  "What is keeping me from bringing forth an hundredfold?"  I don't carry the baggage of a sinful life, I've never tried drugs or alcohol, I was blessed to be raised in the church, but I'm not bringing forth an hundredfold.

The answers to this one are still coming.

Putting Sin in Remission

There were so many great things that Bro. Kelly preached while he was with us.  Friday night he preached with such a burden to the young people of our church.  Young people who have been raised in the church, but are struggling like young people do.  He made it clear that it doesn't matter if you have been raised in the church, until you give your life to God, you are a sinner.  He gave a two word definition of sin:

Sin = I Will

Isaiah 14:12-14 says, "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."  The first sin, and every one since, was that of self will.

Repentance = Not My Will

When we give our will to God, that is true repentance.

He went on to talk about why we are baptized for the remission of sins.  When a person has cancer and they go through treatment, if the treatment is successful, they are considered in remission.  There might be a small sign that cancer was there, but the disease is no longer attacking and killing the body.  The longer the person goes without the cancer returning, the greater the odds of survival.

When we get baptized in Jesus name for the remission of sins, we undergo treatment for our sinful nature.  As long as we continue in treatment (prayer, fasting, reading the Word) our sins will stay in remission.  Bro. Kelly said that's why a saint of God who has lived this way for 40-50 years just seems to be unaffected by temptation.  They have put their sinful nature in remission!  None of us will ever be completely cured, but we can keep our sins in remission.

Think about a person who is brand new in the church.  They've lived 25 or 30 years in sin.  Their friends are still living that life.  Their families are still living that life.  Their challenges are great, their treatment has just begun.  But the longer they walk, the further they get.  Their sinful nature is being treated by the Great Physician.

The beautiful thing about God's treatment, as long as we stay hooked up, He will never fail.  The longer we stay hooked up, the longer our sins will stay in remission and our odds of making it to heaven are 100%.