Summer Mornings 2009

One of my favorite things about living on the lake is spending time out there in the morning as the sun is rising. Whether I'm on the water, on the pier or just walking along the lakefront, it's a great way to start the day.

This morning I was out on the boat fishing. It turned out to be a better day for photos than fishing. I only caught a couple small bluegills but got some great pictures. Enjoy!

Running ... again

I'm not sure if you remember or not, but I spent most of last summer running.

In fact, I ran 195.5 training miles and a half marathon.

I still can't believe it!

Well, shortly after the big race was done I quit running. I ran a handful of times over the winter and spring, but nothing like what I did last summer.

Monday morning, though, I got back on the road. I did 3 miles while the sun was rising and it felt great. Seriously, it did. It doesn't feel so great today because I'm really sore, but it's a good soreness.

Anyway, I'm a runner once again and look forward to spending many mornings this summer pounding the pavement.

I'm looking for a good, fun 10K or 5K race to run sometime in late July or early August. Anybody know of one?

In case you were wondering

For those of you who follow my blog just to keep up on my family, here's a recent picture of Hanah and David. If you haven't seen them for awhile, they are really growing up.

Hanah just turned seven and finished her first year of school. She can read, do some math and draw very well. She has lost five teeth and all but one of the adult teeth have come back in.

David is 4 1/2 and grew an inch in the last three months. He also likes to draw and is becoming quite the outdoorsman. He loves campfires, dirt, rocks and can't wait to spend a night in the tent.

So, now you know!

Happiness Triggers Creativity

As someone who gets paid to be creative, I sometimes get bogged down and resort to old, proven, functional tricks to create "new" things. But, I'm always looking for inspiration and new ways to spark my creativity.

So, I was captured by this video when I saw it first here. It made me think of all kinds of ways to spark creativity in myself and in others.

Now, I'd like to share it with you. Enjoy.

Every New Day

Last week when I was on vacation I spent one morning running some errands. Since I was going to be in the car for awhile and since it was a beautiful day out I rolled down the windows, picked out a CD I hadn't listened to in quite some time and turned the volume way up.

The CD I picked out was Five Iron Frenzy's Our Newest Album Ever. Five Iron Frenzy is definitely not for everyone. Some people don't like ska music. Some people don't like the silliness. I totally understand those points of view, but I really like Five Iron Frenzy. I sometimes get tired of the random, weird, off-the-wall things they do. But it seems like every time I get to that point one of their more serious songs comes on and I'm hooked again.

My favorite Five Iron Frenzy song of all time is Every New Day, the last song on the album I chose that day. Here are the lyrics:

When I was young, the smallest trick of light,
Could catch my eye,
Then life was new and every new day,
I thought that I could fly.

I believed in what I hoped for,
And I hoped for things unseen,
I had wings and dreams could soar,
I just don't feel like flying anymore.

When the stars threw down their spears,
Watered Heaven with their tears,
Before words were spoken,
Before eternity.

Dear Father, I need you,
Your strength my heart to mend.
I want to fly higher,
Every new day again.

When I was small, the furthest I could reach,
Was not so high,
Then I thought the world was so much smaller,
Feeling that I could fly.

Through distant deeps and skies,
Behind infinity,
Below the face of Heaven,
He stoops to create me.

Dear Father, I need you,
Your strength my heart to mend.
I want to fly higher,
Every new day again.

Man versus himself.
Man versus machine.
Man versus the world.
Mankind versus me.
The struggles go on,
The wisdom I lack,
The burdens keep piling
Up on my back.
So hard to breathe,
To take the next step.
The mountain is high,
I wait in the depths.
Yearning for grace,
And hoping for peace.
Dear God...
Increase.

Healing hands of God have mercy on our unclean souls once again.
Jesus Christ, light of the world burning bright within our hearts
forever.
Freedom means love without condition, without a beginning or an end.
Here's my heart, let it be forever Yours,
Only You can make every new day seem so new.

I hadn't listened to that song in probably a year, but for some reason it hit me in a new way last week. The first eight lines, in particular, got me thinking about my own spiritual state.

Do I hope in things unseen?
Do I believe in what I hope for?

Do I believe I can fly?

None of those questions even make sense if my relationship with Christ is weak. A bunch of things have recently caused me to do some serious introspection and I've found my relationship with Jesus lacking.

I just don't feel like flying any more.

But I know God has a purpose for me. He wants me to soar. He created me to reach higher than the depths and valleys I so often settle into.

If I just seek Him, He makes every new day seem so new! The Light of the World can burn bright within my heart forever!

I hope I (and you) will seek Him every new day and find something new each day to make me (us) want to fly!