It’s an old joke, “Runners never stretch.” But honestly, it’s pretty accurate.
More often than not, I will get back from a run or a race and just move on to the next thing. (You know, the medal, the bananas, the socializing) C’mon, who needs to stretch?
Um…everyone!
Stretching is an important part of staying healthy. So why don’t we do it? Well, it kind of hurts. It is time-consuming. And, it hurts! I’d rather just log some miles than stretch.
Well, recently, I tweaked something that has caused me some neck pain. It has been difficult to put to my chin to my chest. The best way to relieve the pain? Stretching. It hurts like crazy to do it, yet it is the only way I have found relief.
I am sure there are times you’ve been stretched, too. It isn’t fun at all. Yet, it has a purpose. Stretched in your job. Stretched in a relationship. Stretched financially. We don’t like being stretched. But think about it, after the stretching, you always look back and think, “Actually, I’m glad I was stretched.”
Today, where do you feel like you’re being stretched? I encourage you to “welcome the stretch” and see what kind of benefits come your way.
Embrace stretching. Go make a difference. Always run by faith.
Do you remember the days when having $1 was a big deal? When I was a kid, I would do my best to find a nickel here, a dime there. And, every once in a great while, I’d find a quarter. Whew! That always felt like a big deal! Within a short time, when I added it all up, and I’d suddenly have enough to jump on my bike to go grab an ice cream cone. All of those little coins added up!
The same can be said about complaining. Think about it. “It’s cloudy”, leads to, “It’s so cold”, which leads to, “Why do I live here?”
Now, all of those individual statements could be true. But, when you add one complaint on top of another complaint, it also adds up in a hurry! The next thing you know, you find yourself living in “Grumpyville, U.S.A.”
Here’s an idea, what would happen if, every time you complain, you took a nickel or a dime and put it into a jar? How long do you think it would it take for you to add it all up and grab an ice cream cone?
Watch out for the little things. Go make a difference. Always run by faith!
Would you consider sharing this post with a friend? Or, subscribing? Ya know, one person here, another person there, it can also add up in a hurry.
I will never forget those words spoken to me in 1993. My boss pulled me into his office, looked me in the eye, and said, “Stop me if I’m crazy, but I think you’d make a great production director.” (A production director is the person at the radio station who writes and creates commercials). I will also never forget my response, “You’re crazy.”
I was working my first full-time job at a radio station. I was the overnight guy, and I was also in charge of writing a few commercials when needed.
I didn’t have dreams and aspirations of writing commercials, but I loved voicing them. I never told that to my boss, but he saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself.
This is the power of believing abundantly about people on the team. Belief causes people to rise to the expectations.
Jeff Henderson
His belief in me propelled me to do greater work. It fueled my ability. I went from “the overnight guy” to “the morning guy” in just 2 years.
Stop me if I’m crazy, but you possess some major influence in the words you speak, too.
“The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.”
James 3:5 NIV
Speak life. Go make a difference. Always run by faith.
Have you ever thought, “Sheesh, I don’t think I really make that much of a difference?” First of all, STOP saying that! Now that I have your attention, take a look at how a small connection from Jenni lead to a major impact.
A few years ago, I got to know our FedEx driver for the greenhouse a little. He had his route changed last year, so I didn’t get to see him except when he delivered in our neighborhood.
Today, he pulled into the driveway, so I went out to say hi. The greenhouse is back on his route, but the gravel driveway was too sloppy for him to even try to deliver the plants he had on his truck. So he came to drop them off at our house. Above and beyond anything he had to do. He could have just brought them back to the hub as undeliverable due to conditions.
In chatting with him, he told me that last May he had half his lung removed (lung cancer). I told him that indeed he is a walking miracle, and God isn’t done with him yet.
The mission field does not have to be a faraway land. Sometimes, it’s a grocery store aisle, a parking lot, a greenhouse business…..and even a driveway.
When you invest into people, God can do amazing things. Listen to their stories, and share yours. Pray for people God places in your path….there is a reason. I may not be a mighty influencer or climbing the ladder of success, no title or business card. I’d rather be known as ordinary and available.
Well said, Jenni.
Be available. Go Make a Difference. Always run by faith!
I wasn’t planning on writing something today, but I heard a still small voice saying, “this matters”. So, here I am listening and obeying.
February 8 marked the birthday of one of my dear friends, Dan. Sadly, God called him home in 2022. Dan was an encourager. Dan was hilarious. Dan inspired people. Dan had a firm foundation in his faith with Jesus.
We ran thousands of miles together. We laughed. Tlaked. Encouraged each other to be better husbands and fathers. And then, in one moment in time, he was called home to Heaven.
Dan always made people feel included and loved. He is missed greatly.
My wife just said to me, “Every time I walk down that street, I can hear Dan saying, “I love you Patty!'”. That’s just who Dan was. Larger than life. The glue to relationships. And, a man who only liked sausage links after a long Saturday morning run.
On his birthday, his wife Melissa, daughter and a few friends got together at the Ronald McDonald house to make some cookies and honor his life, and legacy.
Today would have been Dan’s 56th birthday. We now have a tradition – a way to celebrate his spirit – and to give to others in his honor. It helps to not make this day so sad and to focus on something else besides our pain. He would want us to be joyful – to remember all the great memories and not get weighed down by our sorrow. He was a bright light in this world – and he would want us to shine – and so that is what we did. Happy Heavenly Birthday Dan – we will forever miss you
I miss that dude a lot. And, anytime someone passes, it always poses the question, “What kind of legacy am I leaving?”
Leave a legacy. Go make a difference. Always run by faith.
I’ll admit it, I’m guilty of it. I don’t mean to be, but I know that I’ve done it. I’ve chatted with someone going through some, “thick stuff in life”, and I end the conversation with, “I’ll pray about that for you.” Then, life gets in the way, or something happens, and I completely forget to do it. Ever been there?
Just the other day, I was in the store and speaking to a woman, Trisha, who shared with me that she had just said goodbye to her dog of 15 years. She was heartbroken. She apologized several times for getting choked up and crying.
I shared with her that saying goodbye to a pet, a member of your family, is very hard. We had to make that tough decision in 2020, when we had to put down our ol’ boy, Kramer.
As I walked away from Trisha, I said, “I’ll be praying for you and your family.” She smiled, and I walked toward the fresh produce.
Then I heard it. Through the squeaky grocery carts and the overhead music, I heard the still small voice saying, “Go pray with her now”.
I turned around and said, “Trisha, can I pray with you now?” That’s all it took. “I’d love that” she said. So there, by the baked goods, we prayed.
Yeah, I had to take a bit of a bold step to ask to pray in the middle of the store, but I did it. Why? Because I know that once I started trying to find the best bananas, or find the shortest check-out line, it could escape my mind.
Perhaps you’re reading this and thinking, “There is no way I would pray with someone, especially in a store”. That is OK!! There was a time that I felt that same way. But, over time, I became more comfortable with it, and it became easier.
Taking a bold step isn’t easy. It does take work. Running your first 5k, isn’t easy either. But, with some practice, the miles get easier. Next thing you know, you’re signing up for longer distance races.
Please don’t get me wrong, offering to pray some for someone, and saying, “I’ll pray for you” IS a bold and wonderful step. I just find that many times, trying to find the best bananas becomes a bigger distraction.
Pray daily. Go make a difference. Always run by faith!
It has been quite a year for the Detroit Lions, and their fans! The Honolulu Blue faithful have been on a ride that hasn’t been in operation since 1991. While the football has been exciting, there’s a bigger lesson unfolding before our eyes.
Sold out home games. Honolulu Blue hoodies. Bars and restaurants packed with fans. Complete strangers turning around giving “high fives” in the stands. Officemates wearing their favorite Lions jerseys. The common thread? It’s a rally cry for unity!
It is a beautiful thing when we all come together without a dissertation of belief-systems. Nobody “high-fiving” each other is asking about their political or faith affiliation. This is coming together and rallying around one single cause.
Now, as we get closer to another election cycle, I wonder what would happen if we took these exact same fans, put them in the exact same place in the stands. Would their “high fives” turn into finger wagging and middle fingers?
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.
Psalm 133:1
Catch Unity fever. Go make a difference. Always run by faith.
Yep, you read that right. In a world of perfect selfies, getting the right angle, and finding the lighting, bein’ all nasty with your tribe is the best!
The other day, while on a training run, I came across a friend I hadn’t seen in a while. The closer we got to each other, we knew that simply saying, “hello” wasn’t going to cut it. But, before we gave our friendly, “hello hug”, I heard, “I’m sorry I’m sweaty”.
Now, living in Michigan, January sweat is much different than July sweat. In July, the sweat is wet. You drip. Your clothes become saturated like a sponge. In January, the sweat is confined more to your clothing. It rarely runs down your face. But, if it does, it is likely to freeze.
That said…WHOA! Never apologize for sweating. I truly believe that there’s just something special about sweating with someone. You know, putting in the hard work. Loggin’ the miles. Doing hard things together pays dividends and creates unspeakable camaraderie.
I think this speaks to the solid friendships that we form through running, and working out. I’ve found that my running community has challenged me and has helped me grow in ways I never thought that I could.
Running has brought me to friendships worth having. People that love you and take you as you are. Sweaty or not. It’s a pretty big blessing in so very many ways.
Crissy K.
Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
I am grateful for that sweaty hug from my friend(s). It always reminds me that if we are comfortable with friends when we look our very worst, (messy hair, stinky, not all dolled up) that’s a true friend who sees you as you truly are. And, we need more of that!
Give a sweaty hug. Go Make a difference. Always run by faith.
Do you have a Christmas tradition you love? For me, it’s waking up on Christmas morning to our Christmas Breakfast Casserole. Oh it is amazing! Egg. Cheese. Sausage. Hash browns. Peppers. Onions. Not to mention the smell of the coffee brewing. Oh baby!
A couple of years ago, our tradition was in jeopardy because of a hash brown shortage. We drove to several stores and there were NONE! I’m like, “why now!!” So, my wife, Patty, improvised and we swapped out hash browns for: Tater Tots. It was a little weird…but I wasn’t about to get a fail on Christmas morning.
Sometimes, life gets in the way. You have the perfect plan, and then something becomes more of a “fail”. Like when your son says, “I want a Buzz lightyear Cake…
So, you hunt the web to get a step by step and spend hours making it, and it turns out like…
Then, just when you get over that moment, your daughter says, “I want an Elsa cake”.
The first time with Buzz, was a learning lesson. So, after studying pics, you know you’ve got this!! You open the oven and…
Your Plan A expectation looks like:
Plan B Reality looks like:
Just like a good movie, life has a plot twist. Plan A turns into Plan B!
In high school, I did all the music and arts things: theater, music theater, solo and ensemble. I loved music so I thought, let’s do it for a career.
So, I went to college in Chicago. I was going to be a music teacher with a minor in, ready for this, Opera. No joke. But it wasn’t until I got to college, and saw people practicing for 6 plus hours a day, that I realized I didn’t have a passion for it. So, I switched my major to broadcasting. Major curveball!
So, I left the big city of Chicago and headed to GVSU. The girl I was dating dumped me like a bad Elsa Cake. It was devastating. Those life interruptions weren’t my plan A or B… but it was God’s plan for me.
Maybe, like me, you’ve experienced something that happened when you least expect it – and they’re the ones that change us the most. Whether good or bad, they affect us from that point on. In the moment, we might not be too happy about it – I thought I had the girl of my dreams in the big city of Chicago – but in hindsight, I see how that event grew me. I’m sure you have something too. It changes you, creates new relationships, taught us something, or gave a new perspective.
This isn’t new, the Bible is full of people asking “why now” after their plan A didn’t happen…Noah’s life took a big turn from farmer to boat builder, and I’m sure that Daniel didn’t plan on hanging out in the lions den. God has a way of interrupting plan A’s with his own plans, doesn’t he?
God doesn’t ever tell us bad things won’t happen, instead, he promises that he will be with us – never abandon, never fail, never stop loving us. But, when those hard things happen it can feel like he broke his promise. Did he? He said he’d be with you. He says, he loves you in a mess of it all. He asks, can you trust me?
I spoke to someone the other day who has a husband battling cancer and Parkinson’s disease. This is not her Plan A. She is obviously in a lot of pain watching her husband battle, and suffer, she said, “The world’s gonna try to break me, but I know the one who makes me strong”. She is trusting God, knowing Jesus is there.
I recently read of someone who is being wrongly accused of something. It’s created a mess in their family. Yet, they are praying for their accuser. And, praying for truth and integrity.
Yes, situations will come. Hard diagnoses, accidents, flat tires, broken dreams…and in it all – God is saying, “Will you trust me?”
“I will never fail you. I will never abandon you”.
Heb 13:5 (NLT)
No matter what happens, small or huge, He’s with you and won’t fail you. You’re never abandoned.
There’s a wonderful line in the song, “Firm Foundation” by Cody Carnes song that says, “He won’t fail. He won’t fail. He won’t.”
You’ll have a ‘why now’ moment this week. Maybe even as you leave log off. Check your reaction. You’ll see where your trust lies. I’m not saying that when have flat tires or need car repairs, that you won’t get frustrated, or that life won’t get interrupted with something hard. But how you respond can change.
When you trust who God is and what he says of you, cultivated through gratitude and remembering that He is with you, it changes us – it is part of the transformational work of God in us.
He won’t fail. Go make a difference. Always run by faith.
