North Country Trail Run - Marathon 2019

Once again I find myself unable to say enough about the great experience I had with the North Country Trail Run. This year was a trio of wonderful things that came together for my family and I. Of course the race itself was so well put on once more with an even enhanced experience from my first go-round in 2015. Then came the personal side of camping with the family and my 5-month old daughter's first chance to camp. Last but not least was the run itself which surprisingly turned out to be a PR for me. I'm still a bit in awe at how it all turned out.

Handling Time in a Busy, Busy World

[Originally published in the Monroe News on Friday, August 2, 2019]

How many of you readers out there would say you are feeling the effects of the time crunch?  Doesn’t it seem as though there are less hours and minutes in the day with each new day that passes?  There is rarely enough time to accomplish all the things we set out to do.

I’ll be the first to admit I’m a slave to my watch and to the clock.  I’d be like a lost puppy dog if someday I forgot my watch at home and had to navigate a day without knowing the time.  This is consistent with the rest of my personality which is an “always on the move” type.  Just ask my wife.  In recent days I’ve felt the time crunch as much as ever before.  Since March, my wife and I have been enjoying the blessing of our new baby daughter, as well as raising our three older boys.  Having gone almost ten years between babies we had nearly forgotten just how much time these little ones demand.  I’m also deeply committed to my ministry and work at Grace Lutheran which amounts to a bit more than a full-time job on a weekly basis.  As many of you know, Pastors do actually put in a few more hours every week than just showing up for Sunday service to preach.  I also work to balance responsibilities around the house and taking care of our cars.  I try to find time to be outside and play with my boys. I also made the somewhat crazy decision to train for another ultramarathon which is coming in September.  Some evenings as I find a split second to try and relax on the couch I wonder “what was I thinking?”