2008 Review-The Year of Getting Fit

Rather than post 2008-2009, I have opted to break it up into two posts. I just feel like it will help me clear my head properly.

Well, we have exited 2008. Some would say good riddance to this past year. It was a rough, challenging year. It was a year filled with tension. It was a year filled with fear. It was just a tough year all over.

2008 had its theme early in the year for me. I really felt a sense from the Lord that it was a year I needed to start getting fit. I feel big changes are on the horizon, and I felt the nudge from Father to be ready for them. How did this sense from the Lord show itself in my life? Well, let's take a look.

In getting fit this year a highlight for me would be finishing Bible College and getting ordained. This was a big challenge. At times I felt as though I would never do, or get through this. It was a challenge for so many reasons. It forced me to sit down and work day in and day out. It forced me to study things. It forced me to take a big look inside of myself. It forced me to look at my faults and weaknesses. Each week, new assignments, new papers, new studies, new words, new sermons, bombarded me until I could feel the weight of it in every area of my life. Then suddenly… It was over. I was able to walk down the aisle Suma Cum Laude. I was able to say I completed this challenge.

Another area of getting fit for me was obviously the physical area. Did I succeed? That’s a mixed answer. If you were to ask me if I am able to see my feet yet, I would have to answer no. I did not seem to lose any weight. That being said, I did work out more this year than I have, or have been able to, in a long time. Starting last winter I was on my cycle trainer regularly. As soon as the weather broke I was out on the trails. I was able to ride a 40 mile ride in the woods of Addison Oaks. I was slow and fat but I was able to go further than in a long time. This year I raced two endurance races with my team, MTB-Life Racing. Though I was slow, I was still part of the team and worked to see us win. One of those races I actually did a 6 hour solo against my teammates. I met almost all of my objectives. I was in the lead group for at least 5 feet (small goal, but when you are as fat as I am, you have to count your victories). I kept up with my team for a lap, despite flatting early in that lap. This, however, is what kept me from attaining one of my other goals. I did all of this on the first lap of the race. Because of this, I pretty much blew up and was only able to complete 7 or 8 laps (I have to look it up) when I knew I could get 10. Reminder to self: Pace yourself.

In our family it was a good thing I started getting fit. I now have 2 teenage boys. This is a new challenge that I think I needed to prepare for a little earlier. I think we have made positive steps as a family, but, if I had known then what I know now… This is still something I am working on. Since it is not a project made of wood, I know I will never finish, and will always be able to improve it. I think this year taught me a number of things regarding my family. We are a good family, but I have always been a “loosy goosy” type of father. I tried to be the more relaxed one. Not that I wasn’t involved, or was just a total goof off, but I tried to give everyone something to smile about. I started to see, however, that I needed to establish some things. In the end, I am learning, things are getting established, and the family is growing. As I said before, this is something I will always be learning and changing, so I am looking forward to learning. I love my wife, my sons, and my daughters, so I will continue exercising in this area.

What else??? Oh, all of this getting fit really came in handy in a number of other areas. One of which was our mission trip. This was the first year we led the team. We went to Tijuana Mexico. We took a team of 10 from our church and 2 young people I am close to. While we were there we led a team of 17. Over the week I had to preach in 3 churches, minister millions of times, make decisions I never knew of prior, care for and encourage my team, and the larger team, and do a bunch of other things I have never done on previous trips. In the end, we saw a lot of people get saved and we saw the lives of our young people touched like never before. Not to mention that the getting physically fit helped me pull a couple of kids out of the Pacific Ocean, but I won’t get into that here.

The year of getting fit taught me some lessons about life. It is still teaching me about life. One of the harder lessons I am still learning and working to get fit in is my job. I have always been very good at what I do. Sometimes I take that for granted. I am learning to work as unto the Lord. I need to, especially in this economy.

Getting fit came with challenges. I have watched some of my closest friends go through some major challenges. I have watched some get setback after setback, and watched others get bad report after bad report. Andrea and I have had to do things I don’t think we ever thought of before with all of these challenges. We haven’t had the answers, but we have had to support and love amidst the confusion.

All of these challenges have worn me out at times. I remember sitting down with the weight of everything and not wanting to get up. There were times this year where I felt like Oscar De Lahoya when he fought Manny Pacquaio, just being up against a foe that was always faster, bigger, and stronger. One that had no mercy and was just taunting me to throw in the towel. I remember telling Andrea a couple of times that I wish we could just get away. I wish there was some good news somewhere. It was in those times where getting fit paid off. I was able to wrestle through them, not run from them. I was able to see Him move when I needed the encouragement. I was able to take one more step when I needed to.