Grace and Love

 

Grace and Love

“Greater love to no one than this; to lay down ones life for friends.” John 15:13

This is a great verse one that is a pretty big deal. What it really boils down to is how do we view others and how we treat them.

Do you look at your spouse and your immediate family as a pain in the ass? Or do you view them with love and companionship?

What about the person at the grocery store who is rude and pushy? Do you see them as selfish and inconsiderate or as a person who may be having a bad day or maybe even a bad year (trust me there are quite a few people out there who fall into this category).

Jesus gave his life for us so that we may be forgiven for our sins and have everlasting life, shouldn’t we offer the same kind of grace to others?

I am very fortunate to have many things, a loving wife, two awesome sons and many friends. But still at times I wrestle with the selfish demons. In today’s world, hell in our country, there is so much hate and mistrust. There are too many hypocrites.

The religious right even though they preach Christianity which includes everything around love and grace, also turn around preach hate and lies about the liberal left.

The same goes for the liberal left. The want equality and the right to freedom but then they turn around and talk about hate and blame on anyone who doesn’t’ follow them.

I hate this! And I’m sick of it! Enough is enough!

The only way things will change is if we learn to respect and love each other no matter what our race, religion and beliefs are.

Life is all about love and relationships. Think about how you see other people. God has a plan for each of us and he wants you to have a relationship with as many people as possible. Our mission in life is to LOVE! Its that simple.

This week focus on how you see people and how you treat them. I guarantee you your life will seem a lot better at the end of it.

Happy Valentine’s Day friends!  

The Love of Running

I love running! It has defined me and helped to make me the man I am today. 

I discovered running at the young age of 16 when I decided that football hurt too much, not to mention I wasn’t very good at it. 

I grew up in Northern California in the shadow of the Santa Cruz Mountains which were filled with tall Redwood and Pine trees. It was my playground for four years. I loved running in those mountains. 

I ran my first marathon in those mountains. It was probably one of the toughest marathons I have ever run as it took off from Los Gatos, climbed through the mountains and ended down in Soquel which was just south of Santa Cruz on the Pacific Ocean. It was 13 miles up, 4 miles along the summit and then 9 miles downhill. Looking back on the experience, it wasn’t the uphill that got me, it was the 9 miles down that got challenged me. After that race, my love for marathons took off. 

For awhile it stayed with me then it left me because of college. Its very difficult to run in the harsh winters of Nebraska. 

Everything changed in my early 30’s when one day I woke up, looked in the mirror and decided I needed to change my lifestyle or else I would be in big trouble. 

Running changed my life. Two years after I started up again. I was 100 pounds lighter and a new confident man. 

Because of running I met my wife Ginger. This March we will celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary. Ginger gave me two sons. They have seen me as a runner as long as they have been alive. I owe everything I have in my life to running. 

What I love about running, is it is a mirror of life. You get back what you put into it. The harder you work, the greater the success. Just like in life, you have good days and you have bad ones. The way you respond to those bad days will determine how the next day goes. 

Just like life, you experience moments of euphoria as well as moments of despair. There is good pain and there is bad. And when you don’t expect it, you’ll experience that “Runners High” where everything in your body and mind tingle with excitement. 

Everyday I get to run is a blessing from God. He has given all of us a gift; the gift of running. I always remind runners that not everyone has the gift of running. 

We’re a special breed. Getting up and running before the sun comes up or going out in 85 degree, 90 percent humidity to run 10 miles. It takes a special person with a special gift to do that. Running lays foundation to our successes in life because it trains us on how to deal with life. 

There is no other sport like running. It takes dedication and discipline to strap on the running shoes and go out and run. And even though running can be tough on the body, if you take care of yourself and listen to your body your running days can go far into your life. 

2020 was a tough year for us runners. During that time, it was my refuge from all the craziness in this world. Through it all the one constant was I could run and nothing could stop me. I know 2021 will be a great year as we are already starting to see races crank up. 2020 sparked my love for running because I couldn’t race, it made me stronger and more determined to run, because I wouldn’t let it be taken away from me. 

So, the next time you’re not sure if you want to step out and get your daily run in, remember everything it has given you. I guarantee you; you’ll be strapping up those shoes and hitting the road. Yes, I love running and I will for the rest of my life. 

Keep running friends!

The Big Day

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

The day is finally finally here. On Sunday January 19th I will set out with about 25,000 runners on another journey. That journey is The Houston Marathon. I have been training for this since July, a lot of mileage has been longed and sweat and tears. I have run in high heat and humidity and freezing cold tempertures. And through all of that as in everything else, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has been with me every step of the way.

"Be sure of this. I am with you always, even to the end of this age." Matthew 28:20

What a wonderful, wonderful gift he has given me. I am so lucky to be able to run. And if though I have trained for this, the thought of running 26.2 miles still seems like a huge challange. It's a natural feeling, trust me.

But, what I do take into Sunday is I know that God will protect me, he will challange me all for one reason, and one reason only, to give him all the glory. What's so cool about all of this is He planned this for me. He knows exactly what's going to happen on Sunday. And I also know this is going to make me a stronger person and believer.
And I will rejoice in that as it says in James 1:2-4

" My brothers and sisters, when you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience. Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. The you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you need."

I know that over the course of running this marathon that there will be troubles, but I will get thru them and I will be patient.

He is going to give me strength to do this, it says this exactly in Phillipians 4:13

"I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength."

The reasons for me doing this marathon are not really that important. I sense it was something God put on my heart so I'm trusting him knowing that there is a reason for me to do this. The last marathon I ran was in 2009. I remember it well because at about mile 23 I know he stepped in carried me to the finish. Somebody in the crowd looked at me and then said "let him take you home." Somehow after that I found that extra bit of strength to finish.

It's so refreshing to know that he loves me so much that just at the right moment he sweeps in and takes me in his arms and carries me home. Knowing that eases all that anxiety about whether or not I will finish.

But most of all, I know there is nothing that will EVER take his love away from me, and because of that, I can relax and enjoy the moment.

Romans 8:37-39 spells it out so clearly.

"But in all these things we are completly victorious through God who showed his love for us. Yes, I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is Christ Jesus our Lord."

Everytime I read these versus, it just causes me to do nothing but smile becuause it states it very clearly; nothing can ever take that away.

So on Sunday morning, I'll strap on my shoes and the armor of God's love and set out on that journey we call the marathon.

Be safe my friends and I'll see you on the road.

Coach Rich

A New Beginning

"I find rest in God, only he can save me. He is my rock and salvation. He is my defender, I will not be defeated." Psalm 62:1-2.

I read today that before we move into the new year we should thank God for everything he has done for us this year.

2013 was a year of change for me when it came to my running career. In 2012, my health issues were finally brought to light and after sitting down with my doctor a plan was formulated and then executed. Slowly things began to change. But the changes didn't really start to change until early 2013 with the running of the Houston Half Marathon and Woodlands Half Marathon where I finally started running at my marks from a few years ago.

The biggest change I made though was the decision to change training programs and to also get back into the coaching game. The dream of running a program where faith and family had a big emphasis was finally going to happen. It was also the opportunity to put faith in my Lord Jesus Christ at the front and to help others strengthen their faith as well.

God always opens doors for us when he feels we are ready for the next challange. This was one of them. The first leap of faith for me was leading a prayer before our Saturday runs and group races. To be honest with you, I was very nervous and fearful because I really didn't know how people would react. But I also know that in those moments the power of the Holy Spirit takes over. The result was overwhelming! It's gotten to the point now that people in our group expect us to pray before our big runs.

"Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed." 1 Peter 2:6b

My struggle as it is with almost everybody, is learning to trust God in all my endeavers. We have a tendency to want to drive rather than let God do it for us. The only thing we control is our attitude and perception. As it says in Proverbs 3:5 "Trust the Lord with all your heart and don't depend on your own understanding."

The next big challange for me was training for the Houston Marathon in January 2014. I haven't done a marathon since 2010, primarily because I really don't enjoy the distance. But once again I sensed and felt that it was time to give it another shot, especially since I'm turning 50 three days before the race. How many 50 year olds in this country can say they ran 26.2 miles? I think the percentage is very small.

My new coach is awesome, he knows exactly what I'm capable of. He understands what motivates me and he knows when to push and when to back off. I honestly think he is the best running coach I have ever had. And if I can some day be even half the coach he is it will be a huge accomplishment.

Yes, God is good. I know that come January 19th, I will finish my 15th marathon. We all have defining moments in our life, God puts them there so we can become stronger in our faith and also show others how He is the only way to true happiness in life.

The gift of running is from God and I feel very lucky to have the ability to run. I know that it keeps me healthy and strong. I am so thankful!

What lies ahead in 2014. I will set my goals, but I also know that everyday is a adventure. The one thing I have is that faith that God is taking care of me. Jeremiah 29:11 says it best "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and to not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

So rejoice and give thanks to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that he loves you and wants nothing but good for you. I tell people this all the time. "Our dreams are not even close to what God has planned for us."

Dream big! Happy New Year and I hope ALL of you have a blessed 2014.

Rich

Inspiration

10,000 Reasons

 

"Bless the Lord, O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name."

 

 

 

I honestly believe there come moments during a training cycle where it can and will elevate you to the next step. Yesterday morning was one of those times.

 

The morning was hot and humid and I was faced with the longest run of my training cycle since last March. The mileage on the schedule told me I had to run 11 miles, and I knew this was going to be a tough one because of the conditions. It's mornings like this where I wish I would have stayed in bed. But as a runner I have also learned that no matter how hard the obstacle seems, we all have a very stubborn mentality to suck it up and give it our best shot.

 

Maybe it was the prayer before the group that helped. Usually that calms me. On this morning, I really didn't want to do this, but I pressed on.

 

Matthew 19:26 says "with God all things are possible." so I pressed on and started the run. The thing I love about my training group Volte Endurance is we always try to help each other out. On this morning I experienced it first hand.

 

About 3-miles in to the run, one of my runners from the 10 for Texas program caught up to me at the rest stop. We talked a little and decided to move on together.

 

So off we went, mile by mile we went. The temperatures got warmer and the humidity seemed to increase. But we stuck together. About 8 miles into the run I was really beginning to feel the distance. My legs hurt and I felt like I was beginning to get the weak-leg syndrome. To me when I hit that point, I stop running and do a lot of walking. But something told me to keep going, and I made sure to keep my partner from quitting as well.

 

Finally the last mile was here, I told myself not to give up so I kept working.

 

On my MP3 player I have a mixture of music. It consists of everything from good ol' fashion rock and roll to Contemporary Christian.

 

I honestly believe in moments when we need Him, God comes through for us.

 

About a 1/2 mile from the finish, I wanted to walk sooooo bad, but then 10,0000 Reasons came on and all of a sudden I was energized, I was so happy. I started singing the song out loud. I didn't care if other people heard me singing, at the moment I was so full of joy I felt like singing. I looked up at the sky and the scene was beautiful, it spoke to me. It was like he was filling my body with the extra energy to finish.

 

Finally my friend and I finished and we both thanked each other for helping each other get through a very difficult run. Later on I got a note from her thanking me for providing her with the inspiration to finish. She told me it was my singing of 10,000 Reasons that helped her finish.

 

There is nothing like the feeling that you have finally broken through the wall. The last couple of weeks have been a struggle because of the heat and humidity, but God has a way of motivating and watching over us to get to the next level. Yesterday that is exactly what he did.

Yesterday morning was a blessing from God. He gave me the strength and endurance to finish 11 miles. But most importantly he gave me something to think about.

1 Corinthians 9:27 says "I treat my body hard and make it my slave so that I myself will not be disqualified after I preached to others."

What you think about your chances of success goes along way in determining whether you will enjoy it and if you will be successful.

Keep your heads up my friends and stay positive in everything you do.

See you on the road.

Coach Rich



Overcoming the Storm

"I look up to the hills, but where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let you be defeated. He who guards you never sleeps. Psalm 121:1-3

The last two weeks were brutal. Let's just say that anything that could go wrong, went wrong. Then yesterday when I was trying to decide on what I was going to write about, it came to me. During all the tough moments, what did I find myself doing?

I prayed a lot, but the prayers were not your typical ones, instead they were spent thanking the Lord for all he had given me, thanking him for testing me. As I stated two weeks ago, God is always testing us, he is always looking for ways to make our faith stronger and stronger.

The reason for this is when we come through those struggles we are a testimony to others out there.

This morning I was watching one of the Pastors I like to watch on Sunday mornings and his topic was about one thing, be positive or be quiet. I thought back to my troubles and I remembered that during that time I really tried to stay positive no matter how bad it seemed to get.

When you are in the middle of the storm, praise God and thank him, and he will reward you. The moment you start speaking negative, everything will come to a screeching halt. Bottom line is if you don't have something positive to say don't say anything.

Proverbs 6:2 says "You might get trapped by what you say; you might be caught by your own words."

Don't curse your future with negative words, instead embrace the tough times praising God all along the way. When I face tough challenges, "I always ask myself, Is this going to kill me? Is this a life or death situation?" 99 percent of the time it's not, so instead say to yourself "this to will pass"

Sure enough over the last couple of days things began to work themselves out. The air conditioner wasn't broken, the problems with my foot didn't feel as bad and new opportunities opened up with my job.

Right now it's really tough running, we are truly in the dog days of summer but we are also 3/4 of the way through the summer heat (hopefully). What we have do is keep training, keep working hard. Every run, every workout in the heat is a victory!

Our time is short on this earth, enjoy this time in your life. Instead of dreading the heat and humidity, take it on! Because it will make you stronger than ever.

Remember, God put you on this earth to do great things! He has a master plan for you, he has no intention of bringing harm to you.

And remember what Romans 8:31 says, "If God is for us, no one can defeat us."

So go out there and be your best because that's what He wants us to do and nothing less.

Have a blessed week my friends and I'll see you on the road.

Coach Rich

Perseverance

"Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you do." James 1:4

We are impatient. Yes I said it. As humans we expect immediate results in everything we do. We expect instant gratification. But God doesn't see it that way, as he wants our faith to grow stronger and the only way that will happen is by testing us.

As Ephesians 4:18 says "We have small troubles for a while now, but they are helping us gain an eternal glory that is much greater than the troubles. We set our eyes not on what we see but on what we cannot see. What we see will last only a short time, but what we cannot see will last forever.

So in my opinion faith is believing in something you cannot see, feel or touch. It's taking that step not knowing what the end result will be. Perseverance is sticking with that leap of faith and staying the course. I want God to test me. I want God to help me to grow my faith.

Romans 5:3-5 sums it up perfectly, "We also have joy with our troubles, because we know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces charactor, and charactor produces hope. And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out our Love to fill our hearts. He gave us his love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us.

Since I am training for a marathon I have to have patience. I have to trust my coach that he has my best interest in mind. The goal is the marathon and nothing else. I have to trust the training.

It's tough running right now. We are in the heat of summer. The other day it was 103 degrees during my run but I knew the only way I'm going to complete that marathon in January is by following my training plan. But, I also know this, cooler tempertures will come and when they do, the fruits of my training now will come to bear.

The best run of the year is that first autum run when the tempertures are 60 degrees and there is nothing but blue sky. It's awesome. I have to be patient and wait for that first fall morning.

My advise to all my fellow runners is to have patience and remember that every run you complete in this heat it is making you stronger and stronger. That is my hope for you.

Have a great week and God Bless.

See you on the road.

Coach Rich