Vacation Bible School - Day 1

Day 1 of our Vacation Bible School is in the books. Here's our theme this year:

Our focus is two-fold . . . There is so much the kids hear today about being the wrong body, your bodies don't matter, etc. we wanted to emphasize that God made them according to His plan and they are valuable and special in His sight. God did nothing by accident and leaves nothing to chance. He created us and cars for us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made and even more fearfully and wonderfully redeemed!

To go with this focus, each day we are focusing on a different sense given us by God and having fun with that. Yesterday's sense was touch.

Here are some pictures . . .

Candles for the opening and closing.

Trying to figure out what's in the mystery box just by touch.

Sometimes it's a yucky thing in the box!

Learning.

Planting mini Garden of Edens!

A little fun and exercise.

Singing time!

Check back for Day 2! And if you'd like to read our Day 1 "newspaper," CLICK HERE.

Armed Forces Cycling Challenge Result

Saturday was the day of the Armed Forces Cycling Challenge. Me and approx. 1,200 others! I wasn't sure what a mass start like that would be like on bikes, but it was fine - the field spaced out pretty quickly and the ride was enjoyable.

When we started lining up. It got a LOT more crowded!

We rode out of Arlington, past the Pentagon, past Arlington National Cemetery to a turn around and then back to the start/finish line - a 6.5 mile loop. The ride out was definitely a bit harder than coming back - both a bit uphill and a head wind. I felt pretty good, though I was not as ready for this as I was for my century ride last month. Just didn't have the time or energy to devote to harder training. 

I did about what I expected, though: 8 laps (52 miles) in 2:53. The screen shot of my place and results is below:

I know, pretty small! If you click on it you can expand and see better. 

As you can see, I finished right in the middle of the pack. The best riders finished 11 laps and they were moving! Passed me like I was standing still. But I have a goal for next year now. NOT to be up with them - that's too big a leap, I think. But to try to do at least 9 laps next year. That would boost me up to a gold medal from the silver I got this year for 8 laps. 

One of the highlights of the ride was on the last lap, when another rider came up next to me and asked, "How old is that thing?" (Referring to my bike!) Yes, I probably had the oldest bike in the field - 35 years I've had it. It's not fancy like so many of the others there - an old steel war horse that just keeps on going! But maybe if I had a newer bike that would make a difference in my speed? (Some think so.)

Anyway, here's an after picture - I didn't wait to take a picture in front of the banner, the line was too long!

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

I saw a news report recently about a person who wrote an article about plagiarism and, yup, plagiarized part of it!

My Next Cycling Event

So my next cycling event will be the Armed Forces Cycling Classic Challenge Ride. Click on the tab above for more information. 

I've never ridden in an event like this before, so this will be something new for me. I was a long distance runner in High School and College, so I'm used to mass start events, but on foot not on a bike! But there's only one way to get used to it, and that is to do it. So that's what I'm going to do. I'll let you know how it goes. 

The "challenge" part of the ride is to see how many laps you can complete in three hours. The more laps you complete, the higher medal you receive. It is an approx. 6.5 mile loop. You need to complete six laps for a silver medal, nine for gold. So nine laps is approx. 58.5 miles. I did my Metric Century ride last year (100 km, or 62 miles) in just under four hours, so it's unlikely I can do the full nine laps in three hours, but at least six should be doable and not too hard.

The cause this ride supports (as you can see if you click on the tab above) supports the survivors of those killed in the military. If you'd like to support them, I have a fundraising page to sponsor me and do so.

June 4th is the day! I'll post about how I did then. ;-)

Wittenberg Academy Retreat

So my wife and I attended the Wittenberg Academy Family Retreat at the end of April with my daughter Joanna at Camp Okoboji in Northwest Iowa. It was kind of a whirlwind trip - we left 6 am on Thursday and returned 11 pm Saturday night! But it was a nice time away, good to meet folks there, and my daughter enjoyed connecting with fellow students she had only known online. So we'll plan to attend next year as well. :-)

I have only one negative thing to say about it: it was COLD! And windy! Spring has been in Northern Virginia for sometime now. It had definitely NOT come to Northwest Iowa yet!

Here's the group photo they took . . .

Extra credit if you can actually find all of us in the crowd! (Hint: Joanna is not standing with my wife and I.)

A Thought on Tithing and Giving

In a reading from Morning Prayer last week, after Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the instructions for the building of the Tabernacle, he asked the people to donate what they would need to build it - gold, silver, bronze, linen, etc. He doesn't force them or require them. He tells them "whoever is of a generous heart (Exodus 35:5)." And then we read, "everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him" brought the contributions (35:21).

You hear a lot about tithing when folks talk about offerings, and that is a thing in Scripture. But why? The tithes were for the support of the Levites who worked and cared for the Tabernacle and did not get an inheritance of land in the Promised Land. But outside of their support, like with the contributions for the Tabernacle, the offerings were voluntary and free. You could give a tithe, or you could give more, or less, or nothing!

This is also what we read in the New Testament (especially 2 Corinthians 8-9). Since Jesus fulfilled the Law and the Levitical priesthood was no longer needed (for no more sacrifices were needed!), the purpose for the tithe has also been fulfilled. Now, the contributions and offerings of God's people are voluntary and free. We give now not because we have to, but because we can. This is in the way of the Gospel, not the Law. We give in grateful thanksgiving for all God has given to us. It has this added benefit, too: that by giving, we do not hold onto our wealth too tightly so that it becomes a false god, an idol, what we think we need to live. Jesus has already promised to provide that, so we are free to give! And He will provide.

The Pastor Challenge - The Results

Yesterday, I went for my Century Ride.

Goal #1: Make the full 100 mile ride.

Goal #2: Do so in 6 hours or less.

Here's how I did:

As you can see, I met the first goal, but as you'll see, I fell a little short of the second. 

Here's how it went . . .

I found a route out on what is called the "Northern Neck" of Virginia - an area south and west of where I live. It is mostly farms and the terrain is a bit flatter. I figured that would give me the best chance of meeting my goals.

As I started out, I wasn't feeling my best. Not sick, but you know when you body is just "clicking" and you're having a good day or not. So not bad, but I knew I wasn't at my best. But this was my day to do it, so I had to just go. It was foggy, damp, and misty the first 15 or so miles, but not bad. It was overcast all day, which was nice so the sun didn't heat things up. I never rode in this area before, so my first out and back (40 miles) was getting to know the terrain. 

One thing I didn't think about when I chose this area was that flat and open would also mean more wind! The upper part of my course, the first 5-7 miles, (which I had to do twice) was very windy! A head wind from a storm coming up from the south. That made that part a little tougher. 

My first 50 miles, I was just a hair over my goal time. Here's that split:

3:03 at 50 miles. So unlikely that I would do the second half faster, but still, I thought that wasn't bad (though I did not know it at the time - I just kept trying to keep going!). 

One highlight (hint: sarcasm) at the end of my first leg of 40 miles was being chased by a couple of dogs! One was small, so I didn't worry about him too much. But the second was rather large - and I thought, Great! All I need is to get bit on the calf and ruin my ride! But fortunately, he did not catch me.

Miles 60-85 were probably the toughest for me - still a long way to go, but getting fatigued. Just had to keep going. Then, miles 85 to the end were just finishing the last leg and getting closer and closer to the finish line. My 100 mile split:

6:18. That means 3:15 for the second half. All in all, not bad. Though I didn't meet my goal of 6 hours. I gave it all I had, just couldn't quite do it. 18 minutes too much over 6 hours, though, means I missed by 3 minutes per hour. Not a lot.

A true highlight of the ride was seeing two male bald eagles sitting in a field. I wished I could have stopped and taken a picture. There were a bunch of turkey buzzards picking at something and the eagles were standing there watching them - I guess they wanted it!

So if you've been waiting to sponsor me or the Lutherans for Life team in the Walk-Run-Ride for Life to see if I would make my challenge, wait no longer! I kinda did, made the full 100, just a smidge too slow. So click on the Pastor Challenge tab above and make a donation for us! And remember, we are expecting our matching grant to be approved to double whatever you are able to give. Thanks for your support!