Not all Lance Armstrong or Michael Phelps

I am just amazed at the skill and accomplishment of athletes like Micheal Phelps and Lance Armstrong. They are almost superhuman. One commentator said that they did not believe that Michael was from another planet(alien) but that he was from the future. Let's remember that the individual is great, but there is a training table, a schedule, a regimen that most of us are not wanting or disciplined to follow.

I just read Lance's team director's book, We Might As Well Win but Johan Bruneyl. Lance is directly quoted as saying he might not have won any Tours De France without Bruneyl and the team that he put around Lance. Not to take away from any star, but this is seldom done solo. It is never done without sacrifice.

You and I are not Lance or Michael. But we can enjoy the achievement and celebrate the big goals and victories they accomplish. We can, through Jesus Christ and his friends, have the heart of a champion and do what we are called to do. Let's also remember to not let good get in the way of great. (collins)

Press on to the upward call of Christ.

A Franciscan Blessing

I ran across this quote from A Franciscan Blessing and felt that it spoke to my heart.

• May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

• May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitations of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

• May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.

• And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

This was quoted by a man named Craig Groschel at the Leadership Summit. So I lay it out here for my memory bank and for sharing. Let's get riled up somtimes. Let's bang on the doors of heaven in prayer. And let's be fools for Christ who expect to make a difference through Him is some way each and every day.

Frog foibles

On vacation last month we were at the Jones Falls locks on the Rideau Canal in Ontario Canada. I was talking to the upper lock master. We had just met up with the Wards and Allens who were downbound in a houseboat. As I talked with the lockmaster I noticed a medium sized frog hopping by my feet. It was in the grass and bounce, hop, bounce and then it bounded over the edge of the lock into the waters of the lock below. They had been lowered to receive the upbound boats. I laughed as it flew over and interrupted my conversation to see how it had fared in the 25 foot flight to the bottom. It had managed fine. On many days it would have swam to shore and done whatever frogs do. But, alas, one of the fish in the pool of the lock made it lunch and the last I saw of Mr. frog it's powerful hind legs were dangling out of the mouth of a bass.

Why was the frog hopping that direction? Was it afraid of me? Had it done this death defying leap before and liked it, coming back for more? Did it just not see what was ahead (the frog view is very limited by it's position on the ground in the grass)? We'll never know.

Life lessons? Frog has limited viewpoint, but it hops anyway. Having seen the frog trajedy would that remind me not to take risks? NO! I'll bet it was a glorious flight over the side of that lock wall. God gave me legs, that is what I do.... I jump.