God is everywhere! Let him give you strength!

Hello Sports fans!

I got up this morning at 4:00am to get in my 20 mile run. When I first went out to get the paper it looked like it was going to be a clear day. There were no stars in the sky so I was a little skeptical. After my bowl of oatmeal and my coffee, I strapped on my two friends and away we went for our 4 hour journey out into the night. How peaceful with no cars and nothing but me and all of Gods creatures of the night. As the sun started to rise I thought how beautiful it was that I could enjoy one of Gods many wonders. My run was going just fine. I had 10 miles in and I was clicking along just great. All of sudden the clouds turned black and the thunder started to roll in. Just another one of Gods many wonders. All at once it started thundering and lightening and raining extremely hard. I looked up in the sky and said to God, "Is that all you got!!! Come on, you can make it rain harder than that!!!" Just then it started to rain harder. I said out loud, "Come on, you can do better than that!!!" "I'm not given' up so let me see how hard you can really make it rain!!!" Some how it started to rain harder and the thunder and lightening continued. I couldn't get any more wet and I wasn't given up! I thought that the worst that could happen was I could get struck down by lightening. I was ready for God to take me if that should be his plan. It was him and me and all this incredible weather that he was bringing down. I was more motivated than ever to continue to run. My wife pulled up beside me in the car at some point in my run and told me to get in. I told her I had 5 miles left and I wasn't given up. She was worried but she knows my determination and knew I wasn't getting in that car. I ran by a house with a man standing in his garage watching the rain. He yelled out asking me if I needed a ride somewhere. I waved and said no thank you; I have 5 miles to go. Have a nice day I said as I continued to run by. I had 3 miles to go and the ran subsided and the thunder and lightning stopped. I thanked God for the challenge and the inspiration. God made me stronger. I successfully completed my 20 mile run and I will put this strength in my pocket to use it one day when the chips are down and I am not sure I can handle a challenge. Determination, motivation and persistence come in many flavors. Today God gave me a good dose of what I needed to help me not only on my run; but on life's difficult journey.

Sometimes when we are faced with the greatest of challenges, it is then and there that we acquire some of the best tools that will assist us for the rest of our life!!!

Embrace Gods challenges; Live Strong!!!

KB

A Little Each Day! Life is truly a Marathon!!!

Hello Folks,

I am getting ready to run the Montana Marathon in less than 6 weeks. Today I ran 5miles and I have a few more small runs this week and a whopping 20 miler this weekend! A long time ago a friend told me that life is a marathon. I didn't know quite what it meant because maybe I was to young to understand. Everyday we are faced with challenges and opportunities. To give that extra smile, to make that extra phone call, spend that extra 15 minutes with our children and to make that extra sales call that will propel us ahead of the pack. We certainly can't do everything we want in one day. Even though we have great intentions, we cannot do all the goodness we want to do in one day. We cannot kiss our children as much as we want in one day and we cannot sell as much as we want in a lifetime in one day. Life is a marathon. We must do the necessary things every single day and then choose to do a little extra every day to make us feel good about what we have accomplished. Don't try to do it all in one day, but keep putting one foot in front of the other day after day and at the end of your life you will have run that incredible marathon called "your life".

My grandmother is turning 90 years old this weekend. She is one of the sharpest, funniest, kindest, religious and energetic people I know. She also in my opinion makes the world best red velvet cake!!! She drives her car to church, bingo, quilting and visits many friends and relatives. She once told me it is sad to see all your friends pass and sometime she wonders why she has been so lucky to live so long. She is a great person and has lived a good life and cares about people more than anyone I know. It is Gods blessing to the world to keep my grandma here for us all to learn from. My grandma has run a great life long marathon. She has figured it out more than most. It's not what you do just in one day, it is a compilation of the good things that you do each and everyday. Happy 90th Birthday Grandma! You are our hero! There isn't a medal for grandma's but my Grandma Arnold sure deserves one!!!

Run your life marathon! Make each step count and never give up!!!

Kurt