Palo Duro 20K

I recently signed up for the 29th annual Palo Duro 50 Mile - 50K - 20K Run/Walk. Fortunately, I was sane enough to register for the 20K event (~12.5 miles). I will be camping with a friend from college and his brother. The event will be on Saturday, October 16.

I will confess, I have not been running as much as I would like or need for the level of health I prefer. I have now registered for my first trail run and a marathon (which are two weeks apart) in October. As mentioned in a previous post, I also talked Jacinda into running as part of a 6.55 mile x 4 person relay. I have a lot of training and teaching to do in the upcoming months. I am nervous that I may have filled my exercise plate too full, but I am inspired because I know that now I have paid for it, I will be there! Let's just hope I am ready!!

If you are interested in joining me for my first trail run or you just want to know more about what Nathan and I will be doing in October, click here.

Wilderness Trek 2010 - HYG edition

Wilderness Trek (www.wildernesstrek.org) is outfitted by a company called Wilderness Expeditions based out of Salida, Colorado. The basic idea is that well trained guides take high school students into the high country for about 5 days and attempt to summit a 13,000 or 14,000 foot mountain. Hillcrest has taken students on Trek for many years and I have had the privilege to go each summer that I've been here. Each year has been a great experience, but this year was special. Each group on the trail can only take about 20 people at a time. Since we brought 32 people, we had to split our group into two groups. One group was put on the North trail to summit Antora while the other was assigned the South trail of Antora. I was fortunate to be on the Southern trail. I could say this for many reasons: shorter hike, less beaver ponds = less mosquitoes, and an easier summit. Yet the reason I am fortunate is our guides were incredible! I didn't really get to know the guides on the North trail, nor did I hear anything but exceptional things about them. But I did get to know the guides on our side of the mountain and they are exceptional people. Hunter Logan is one of the most genuinely excited people I have ever met. Her spirit did much for encouraging our group. Ben Hall is one of the most forgiving and understanding people I have been around. And Sammie Marshall led with a raw love for people. They did everything within their power to make this outdoor experience a spiritual experience first. For this, I am very grateful!

Now, I mentioned that this year was more special than that of past years. Last year, we had to take two different trails and were, as I expected, placed on two different mountains. This year, however, the directors at Trek placed us on the opposite sides of the same mountain. This means we had the opportunity to summit together. The group on the Southern trail reached summit a little over a half hour prior to the Northern group's arrival. Due to the fast approaching storm cloud, we were afraid we weren't going to be able to stay and see the other half of our group. But just as soon as I had accepted that we weren't going to be able to see their group, two incredible things happened: (1) we saw their group reach a false summit within an audible shout of the summit and (2) the clouds began to break apart. Our guides graciously allowed us to wait for our

other half. It was one of the most incredible experiences I have had in youth ministry: to see our HYG students finishing such a difficult feat, singing about our "Awesome God", and listening to

one of our high school guys praying of his majesty as we look around at God's creation from such an elevation.

Most of all, I thought this year of Trek was absolutely unbelievable because of our students. Each student I watched and have spoken with since has shown signs of true growth. I love Trek because it unifies and spiritually deepens a group of individuals better than most anything else I have ever seen.

Below are some pictures from our incredible experience:

Me, our guide Ben, and "Amy" the donkey who followed us to low camp from the trail head

John Tyson and me at summit

Kyle and me jumping

Our guide Hunter, Sara, Elizabeth, Aubrie, and our guide Sammie

Both groups at summit together

Summer 2010 - Oregon

Obviously, I have not posted in several months. Here is for another attempt at keeping this blog going!

One of my students chose to start a blog for the Jr/Sr Mission Trip to Tri-City, Oregon last week. He, one of our chaperons, and I authored this blog. There are several pictures and updates throughout last week stating how great the week was.

Check it out: www.crossxoregon2010.blogspot.com

Big Bend

I recently enjoyed a trip to Big Bend National Park with two of my friends from church, Conner and Collin (I called them the wrong names all week. Sorry guys!). We took the trail for the Outer Mountain loop beginning with the South Rim trail head from the Chisos Basin. If anyone ever says Texas does not have mountains, they have obviously not taken this trail. Parts of it are brutal.

Here is a link to the details of the trail.

Elephant Tusk from the Dodson Trail

Conner, Collin, and me at Emory Peak

Sunrise on the morning we hiked out

Wilderness Trek 2009

Wilderness Trek is one of the coolest organizations. Our youth group has been taking a group up mountains in Colorado with Wilderness Trek since its inception. Last year, for the first time in a long while, we brought enough kids to fill two mountain groups (Colorado only allows 20 people on one trail in one group). Basically, on Wilderness Trek your group is led by two guides who are trained in mountaineering and are solid Christian leaders. Most of the mountains they climb are 14,000 feet of elevation and higher. A lot of the trip is about climbing the mountain, but the emphasis is always on spiritual things. Many of our kids have never seen mountains (...they are from Texas!), nonetheless climbed one. So the fact that we are in the mountains helps our group choose to make the trip meaningful. By the end of the week, the group is always so close and open with one another, it is no wonder Jesus went mountain climbing with his disciples (: ... (Mt 15:29, 17:1).

One of our students, Hayden, had been talking with Jacinda and me for nearly a year about being baptized and decided during this trip that he wanted to accept God's gift of salvation and no longer live his life for himself. So I baptized him in a creek from snow melted water at 13,000 ft on Mt Elbert (one of the coldest experiences I remember ever having!). I hope you enjoy the pictures posted below.

In front of Mt Elbert's peak

Hayden's baptism

Our group on summit of Mt Elbert

Zest for Life

There is a group of women in the Hillcrest congregation who many people look up to for several reasons: they are giving, thoughtful, caring, nurturing, prayerful, active, and great listeners. To me, one of these women, in particular, is completely full of life. I stopped her yesterday for a short conversation and felt the urge to comment on this attribute of hers and my learning from her to remember to wonder at God's creation and His gift of life. She smiled her kind and gentle smile and said, "a long time ago when I was in graduate school, I had a friend who we threw a birthday party for and theme of this party was that he had such a 'zest for life.' I thought to myself, 'that's what I want:' a zest for life!" I told her, "I think you've achieved it." She smiled and said, "I think I have, too!"

I mentioned in an earlier post (squirrels) that I was attending a conference in Lubbock in which Mark Yaconelli was speaking. The theme was "Down Time" (this is also the title of Yaconelli's most recent book). I had heard Yaconelli speak before and looked forward to hearing him speak again. But something happened this time: I heard what he was saying; I got it! Last time I listened to him speak, I thought, "wow! what great ideas. I really need to do that." You see, the thing is that Mark Yaconelli doesn't necessarily provide ministers with the most 'practical' ministry related toys that are ready for you to apply to your ministry ... "on your mark, get set, DO MINISTRY WITH MY LATEST METHOD/PRODUCT, ETC.!" Yaconelli takes an entirely different approach. He encourages the youth ministers, preachers, volunteers ... everyone who hears him ... to slow down. He encourages us to slow down and take time in "holy leisure" and wonder at God's creation in nature and the humanity around us. Take the time to move at God's pace and see the hurt in the person next to you in traffic, take the time to see the joy in the girl who is celebrating her 6th birthday party in the park, take the time to see the beauty in the sunset, and take the time to grasp the importance of the times we see someone doing the right thing. The last time I heard this, I thought, "great! I need to do this: on your mark, get set ... hurry and slow down!" Wait, this is difficult! I didn't get it. So I kept adding things to my plate. I kept getting busier. And Busier. And. Busier.

The truth is I have made myself too overwhelmed to embrace this 'holy leisure.' I have made myself too busy to have this contagious 'zest for life.' I have always enjoyed nature ... the Creation account in Genesis is one of my favorite Bible stories. But I was missing something! The sunrises and sunsets here in West Texas are unbelievable! I knew that, but I realized that I do not take the time to relish the gifts that God has given us through nature each day. The truth is, typically, every morning I am awake for the sunrise. Typically, I am outside every evening during the sunset. And I have not taken the time to soak in these daily gifts from God. This morning I went to the gym with a friend of mine at 5:30. When we finished our workout about an hour later, I noticed the sun was beginning to rise so I drove home and walked to the ACU campus. Soon I found myself jogging to the newly created Labyrinth between the brand new Welcome Center and the lake on the East side of the campus. I took a seat on a bench and simply watched. The emotions I experienced were in harmony with the colors and ascent of light my eyes were seeing. It was today, that I realized I had never watched the sunrise. Oh, I have seen it ... and do nearly everyday. But I never before had taken the time to watch the sunrise. What a truly spiritual experience!

I encourage you to find the time, even if it is for a brief moment, to slow down and wonder at God's creation. Whether it is in nature, other people, God's willingness and desire for relationship with us, or whatever may drive you, find your time to have holy leisure. Remember to live with a zest for life and appreciation for the gifts of life that God has surrounded us with.