Then Sings My Soul...

You might as well be dead. No limits.

2010-06-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

“These are the times I will truly remember fellas…”

2010-05-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

New Orleans 70.3 Race Report – April 18, 2010

“These are the times I will truly remember fellas…”

Every race has a story. Here is mine from the New Orleans Half Ironman 70.3 race.

(For non-tri folks, a half ironman consists of a 1.2mile swim, a 56mile bike, and a 13.1mile run.)

There is great anticipation that comes with stepping into the unknown. The 70.3 distance is quite new to me. I did one back in 2006 with no guidance or coaching; just to see what is was like. I tried to ‘race it’ but had no idea what I was doing. No training program, no nutrition strategies, nothing. Coming into NOLA I was curious about my abilities and excited to take on the distance again. But this time I was better prepared. I had more fitness, more confidence, and mental toughness – I was ready to test myself.

A few days before the race, I met with Ahmed, my coach, to go over the race strategy. We talked about each step of the race and how it would unfold. We discussed how I should react in specific situations on the bike. We talked about the psychology of how a competitor thinks during the race. I left the meeting with a solid, sound strategy in hand. I reflected on all of my training in the previous 6 months; I had worked very hard and had confidence in my abilities. And more importantly, I could look myself in the mirror and know I’d given it my all up until this point. The only thing left to do was execute on race day.

Nikki and I drove down on Friday and made the last scheduled pre-race briefing just in the nick of time. I always like to do packet pickup at the earliest possible opportunity. This way, the day before the race I can focus solely on getting in my workouts, resting, and focusing for the race.

Saturday we woke up, ate breakfast and headed out for a swim. I found a little spot down from the official swim start to jump into Lake Pontchartrain. The water temperature was low 70’s. Perfect. Got a short swim in and then hopped on the bike for a test ride. Felt sharp and ready. Mental focus was crystal clear. Spirits were high.

Went to Olive Garden for a late lunch and then back to transition to hang our bikes up for the day. Now it was time to head back to the hotel and rest. Nikki took a long nap and I worked on tri schedules. We got all of our gear ready for race morning and turned out the lights early. With tomorrow would come endless possibilities and great opportunity.

I was up at 3:30am. Starting eating my breakfast at 4am. Wanted a very relaxed pace to the morning. No surprises, just business as usual. We loaded up the car and got to transition by 5:15am. We had 90 minutes to set up transition and put everything in place. While that 90 minutes felt more like 9, I was happy with my preparations and excited to get the day going.

The first professional wave went off at 7am. I had an hour to kill on the beach before my wave went off at 8am. It was relaxing and peaceful watching all of the people before me. It was a beautiful morning and the atmosphere was electric. I was just soaking all of it in. I didn’t get the butterflies until about 7:40am when I went to warm-up in the water and then to line up with my group. It is hard to put into words what it’s like right before the gun goes off. I was ready. “Let’s do this!”

The swim was great. I went at a moderate pace and let some guy sight for me the entire way. He must have looked up 100+ times while I was just relaxing and focusing on him, nothing else. I zoned everything else out and thought about 1 thing: staying on that guy’s hip.

I was out of the water before I knew it and into T1. My wetsuit came off with no problem. I purposely went a little slower in transition to get the heart rate down. I wasn’t in a hurry. The way I saw it I was already out of the water a few minutes ahead of schedule so my plan was going great.

The bike was fun, and hard. I took my chances where I needed to and backed off when it was appropriate. It was all part of the strategy, and I trusted fully in it. I saw some guys tanking towards the end. I was getting stronger. I had hit my nutrition and had executed my pacing almost perfectly. I rode into transition (T2) feeling GREAT about my position.

Racked my bike and took off the helmet. Slipped on the run shoes and had a power gel in hand. Looked across the rack to two of my fellow age groupers, and as I started running I said, “Let’s go catch all those jokers!”

Needless to say I felt fresh. Way too good for having just worked out at a high intensity for 3 hours straight. I think I surprised myself with how good my fitness was in the swim and bike. As I was running mile 1 of the half marathon, I was evaluating my condition. “I nailed everything,” I thought. Cool. Now let’s run.

Problem: All that time I spent feeling great about my fitness and feeling surprised to be in such great shape……all of that thinking was energy lost towards focusing on the task at hand! Because I was thinking of how fresh I felt and how great the swim and the bike were, I wasn’t thinking about what I was currently doing = running!

Result: Mile 1 was too fast, a 6:45 mile. I got caught up in the moment and messed up my pacing. Oops! So I should’ve backed off and raced within my abilities, right? That would be smart, right?!!

Instead, I thought, “6:45? Wow, that felt like a 10minute mile. My fitness is GREAT, I’m gonna smoke this thing!” So I stuck with the pace. Later I would pay the price.

All was good up until Mile 8. I had dropped off more than 2minutes per mile and was feeling overheated. By mile 10 I had completely blown up. Ah, the disappointment in that moment! I can still feel it a bit. But no regrets.

I walked and jogged it into the finish line. Along the way, I appreciated the people that cheered and encouraged me to pick it up to a jog when I was walking. I had a lot of time to think about my decisions in the race and why things had ended up the way they did.

I was happy to feel that I was 100% responsible for why things went the way they did.
I was happy to make it to the finish line. I respect the distance a little more now and I will return to perfect it.
I was happy to see my wife cross the finish line.

And speaking of my wife, the race report wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Nikki. We both trained for this goal together and it was so sweet to see her finish with her hands in the air. I love you and I am so proud of you Nik. Thanks for the encouragement along the way and for all of the support. I couldn’t do any of this without you.

The story wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t mention Jon, Jeff, and Mike. Three of my clients were there doing their first half Ironman. What a joy it was to celebrate in their victories! I am so proud of each of them. It wouldn’t have been the same experience had they not been there and had we not exchanged race stories over dinner that evening. These are the times I will truly remember fellas, not my race times.

As I write this and think back on my 6-year journey through endurance sports, I perceive that I experience great freedom through physical exploration. Training for and competing in triathlons keeps me ‘in the game.’ Each year that passes I find a deeper appreciation for the sport and the perspectives I have gained from it. Not to mention I am in the best shape of my life and have never felt better.

‘The game’ is different for everyone. For me, it’s about balance and passion. I want to be a great endurance athlete but more than that I want to be a great husband and friend. I want to continue to live a healthy lifestyle and train for triathlon. I want to keep pursuing the things in life I am truly passionate about. That’s my ‘game.’

What’s yours?

Smiling in the Southwest :)

2009-05-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

I can't even begin to describe what this trip has done for Nicole and I. Of course it has been fun (you should check facebook, Nik has put up a lot of cool pictures), but that's not really what I'm talking about.

Time to rest. Time to think. Time for a long breakfast. Time to hike. Time to reflect. Time to pray. Time to feel in awe (well, that's all the time). Time to sleep in. Time to be in the moment. Time to forget deadlines. Time to appreciate everything. Time to be cleansed. Time to be refreshed. Time to take walks. Time to truly live out making God the dominating focus of my life.

I don't know why people don't do this more - take trips and get away. But I'm not talking about 1 week; like a real trip, 2 weeks minimum. The perspective you get on life...how can it not be worth it? I can already hear the excuses out there - "Well I can't b/c of this and that." I'm sure there are some valid ones out there (always an exception) but the truth is you can't afford not to!

Fresh ideas about career. Fresh ideas about living. Fresh ideas about life. Renewed centered-ness. Excited about life.

All this, has left us smiling in the Southwest :P

Nikki & David

Encountering the Reckless, Raging Fury

2009-04-23T06:14:00.000-07:00

Hi there, it's been a while...I know, I know, don't hate. Just be glad there's an update! (wow, that actually rhymed, cool).

There's this book I've been reading with a friend about the life of Rich Mullins. Just another man I guess...I wasn't even sold on reading the book even after I bought it but then came the "hook" in the foreword by Brennan Manning - "His (Rich's) vivid awareness of his own brokenness made it existentially impossible to sit in judgment on the sins of others."

For someone who has struggled in the past with casting judgment on others (i.e., me), this was definitely intriguing to say the least. I want to feel that; I want to live like that. I want to know what it's like to see others the way God sees them, absent from my own lenses of discrimination, however subconscious it may be.

What I learned today about God's love - His "Reckless, Raging Fury":

"God loves us with an INTENSE love...He pursues us...It's not God loves you if you're good, it's not God loves you if He's having a good day. It's God loves you desperately, passionately--and it's a hard thing to get ahold of...But I think it's time to get past the twentieth-century and get into the way things really are."
I've met people who see Christianity as a place where "weak" people go. Damn right. I'm glad to not be living the lie of a perfect life anymore. That is so exhausting. Being authentic is a much better way to go. But there's still something terribly wrong when I find more "real" people outside of the church than inside. Interesting. God's love is "intense," not this lame, girly, frilly, fickle thing that comes and goes and only resides in 'nice' people.

"Love is our deepest reason for existence."
"The failure to find this love comprises our deepest pain and drives us (often subconsciously) into activities that we think will help us find it."
We live for love, true. I have chased many a "sexy carrot" in my life, that's for sure - http://www.donaldmillerwords.com/images/DonRabbit.pdf
I love that story about Don Rabbit. It reminds me of all the chapters in my life where I think achieving these great things will somehow validate me. Only to find that I choke on it and end up broken and then later, grateful for the experience...

"Continual failure becomes the devil's playground, for in them he whispers things like 'See, you are a sham, a fake, a sinner, and God knows it. You are deluding yourself if you think he really loves you.' If we pay heed to these voices of condemnation, our confidence in God's love is easily destroyed."
See this is why it's easy for intellectuals or others outside the faith to dismiss the gospel - because we lack in living BOLDLY for God. Why wouldn't they think we are "weaker?" We doubt too much and wallow in flimsy faith, hardly making a ripple for Christ in the people we work with or our neighbors, etc. We constantly settle for this stupid Americanized version of being a comfortable Christian, and it's crap. There's more depth out there people. Yes, and it may come with more pain. Oh wait, here's an idea: Rejoice in your pain maybe?! Or you can just complain about it to others and join in with the rest of people in thinking life is about getting to that cozy spot...what a sham.

"...So don't get so hung up about how important you are in the Kingdom of God or how important you are to the growth of the church. It seems that God is always saying, 'I'm not worried so much about how you're doing as much as I'm glad about who you are.' The Scripture also says don't get too hung up in your failures, your weaknesses, or your addictions - it doesn't make you separate from God because he still loves you."
I can rest in this. I may have to read it 1000 times but eventually I will accept this Love that has been freely offered to me. This idea of being loved despite my behavior, or being accepted regardless of my weaknesses - that's something to ponder.

Today, the love of God became deeper and "bigger" to me. And yet I love how the gospel is still so simple at the same time.

I think there's so much more beauty to be experienced in truly coming to terms with God's love. Let us pursue it with more vigor!

God help us all.

David

be like MIKE.

2008-12-19T09:33:00.000-08:00

I'm really proud of my brother, Michael. He has shined so far this season with his Hendrix basketball team.

It's really cool to see how patience and hard work finally pay off. Never once did I hear a negative attitude from him when he was getting 10 minutes a game over the last two seasons. Well, the time has come and Michael has made his mark!

His confidence and leadership abilities are emerging and at the point when that happened in high school, his performance was through the roof. Why would it be any different in college?

Way to go Mike. Good luck for the rest of the year and congrats on the game last night. I do believe the article said you have "ice in your veins"!!

Check out the articles written on him so far:

central baptist college
millsaps college
rust college
university of dallas

Seems that JESUS might actually stand a chance this Christmas...

2008-12-09T13:39:00.000-08:00

breckenridge

2008-09-23T07:39:00.000-07:00

we just got back from amy's wedding in breckenridge, co

amy was of course a gorgeous bride and it was fun to welcome travis to the family

it was so refreshing to get away and hang out in colorado for 4 days...

check out the backdrop of this picture, it's so beautiful (it looks fake, right?!!!)

here we are at the reception

Finally, an update!

2008-08-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay, I know...it's been too long since I last posted.

Thank you to my fellow bloggers who kept nudging me to get this post out! Once I get back into the swing of this blogging thing, I'm not worried about another hiatus. Basically, what happened was I got married and was busy. Enough said!

Additionally, I promise to never post because "I'm supposed to" or because "I need to update people on what I'm doing." The reason I post is because I love to live life openly and love to share with others. Now let's get going...

THE WEDDING

What a glorious day this was! I don't even know where to begin and even if I got started, I'm not sure I would know where to end...

It was an amazing day. Most of all we wanted God to be glorified and we wanted to share with our friends and family who we put our trust in. I think I underestimated how special this day was going to be.

A lot of people told me that it was going to go by so fast that I wouldn't remember anything. Couldn't be further from the truth. I remember everything, especially when I caught first glimpse of my bride walking towards me. I remember everything about the reception too. The whole week leading up to the wedding was at a slow pace and I feel like I got to drink it all in as it came. Never rushed but feeling calm and pressing into the Lord through it all. I was able to enjoy all of the little moments with Nikki and all conversations with friends, etc.

What a special day. Thanks to everyone who came and supported us, we really appreciate it!

Check out the pictures from the big day :) http://www.davidlovesnikki.com/

THE HONEYMOON

Los Cabos!!! Mmmmmm, what a great destination.

Nikki and I had a blast on our honeymoon. When we first got there we went down to the beach and Nikki would walk close to the water and when the waves would crash in she would scream and run away from them....so funny

look at how pretty she is

sunset pic from the first night in cabo

it was awesome to have a vacation after the wedding, we really needed it

ready for a day of doing nothing!

here we are before dinner one night

we ate breakfast looking out in to the ocean every day

Okay, so if you really know Nik & I you would know that we can't just sit on the beach all week and chill. So we did it our style, and had a BLAST.

First Adventure = a hike 1hr outside of Los Cabos in Santiago, Mexico

We were fortunate to get Marcos, our tour guide, all to ourselves because nobody else signed up for the hike that day. He said that the 3.5mile hike usually takes people three hours to complete, mainly do to the elevation change and rocky terrain. Nikki and I told him we wanted a workout and asked if we could pick up the tempo a little bit... so we finished in 1 hour. Hard core, I know. jk. But we had a great time. Here are some pics from along the way...

So, after the hike in the middle of the Baja desert, we come upon a natural oasis waterfall-fed spring. It was a beautiful picture. It felt SO GOOD to jump in after an intense hike.

After swimming for a bit, I decided to jump off the ledge at the top of the waterfall, a 35-foot jump. This was crazy, but fun. Check out the video of my jump at the bottom of this posting.

Other activities we did:

a kayak/snorkel trip to Lover's and Divorce Beach where we saw Neptune's Finger and the Pacific Window (i LOVED the snorkeling part, it was awesome...water was chilly though) - sorry no pictures from this b/c we didn't have a waterproof camera
a pamper day where we got facials and massages and then went to ruth's chris steakhouse for dinner, which has to be the most delicious meal i've EVER had!

While in Cabo San Lucas for the kayak/snorkel trip, we went to eat at The Office. It was a pretty fun atmosphere

I couldn't have asked for a better honeymoon :)

TEAM CHALLENGE 1/2 MARATHON IN NAPA VALLEY
About a week after we got back from Los Cabos, off we went to San Francisco. Nikki raised over $3600 for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America and trained for a half marathon in the process. I coached the group so I was lucky enough to go as well.

Here are two pictures Nikki took from the bus...Golden Gate bridge and Alcatraz

vines everywhere!

Here we are at the pasta party the night before the race

Nikki had a great race and PR'd with a 1:51!!

Here she is the day before the race...we walked down to the Santa Rosa Rec Center for a swim and I saw these purple flowers and had to take her picture

NEW ADDITION TO THE FAMILY - MISS HEIDI

So here's the story... I've been thinking about getting a cat for about a year now. My sister Caitlin works at an animal hospital and this past weekend I just casually asked her to keep her eye out for any homeless kitties that might come across her workplace. Well, she called me two days later and told me about a 6wk old calico kitty that had been thrown out of a car window.

So, pretty much without hesitation I went and picked her up right then and there!
She's been great so far. We love her :)

Here are some pictures of Heidi:

this one is my FAVORITE! she likes to hang out in her little box...little weird, don't ya think? haha

18 days away from the wedding :)

2008-06-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

This struck a cord in me today:

I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not, how much I might serve the Lord, how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man may be nourished... I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God and to meditation on it.
-George Muller of Bristol

Sometimes I fixate on "what my role is" or "how i can be of service." When it's really not about that at all. Those questions are answered in time; I'd be better off pursuing God Himself and his scripture rather than "my purpose."

The gain outweighs the pain...

2008-05-31T09:17:00.000-07:00

Just some thoughts for the day from John Piper's Desiring God...

Love is costly because it always involves some kind of self-denial.

Love is the overflow of joy in God that meets the needs of others.

Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also;
The body they may kill;
God's truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

-Martin Luther

It seems as though the way of maximum joy and the way of fleeting pleasures are two completely separate roads...

D

In the news...

2008-05-29T11:34:00.000-07:00

One of my students interviewed me on the topic of "Spiritual Wellness." It made the SMU news broadcast so check it out if you want. The clip makes it seem like I teach yoga (I wish), but I don't!!

http://envibrance.com/Spiritualmovie/Spiritualweb2.mov

Also, one of the postings from my Ironman blog made it in "The Phast Times News" - the Dallas area run, bike & swim news publication. Here it is:

SMU-in-Taos Final Post: Leaving God's Country...

2008-05-29T05:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back in Dallas now. It was really good to see Nikki, finally!

I miss Taos. I loved the cold nights and sunny days. I loved seeing the stars at night. I loved looking to the horizon to see snow-capped mountains afar and fields with horses close by. I loved the pace of life. I loved having to walk 10 minutes to and from every meal. I loved how active I was everyday. It was truly an amazing experience. I can't wait to go back. I can't wait to go back with Nikki...

Now for the rest of all the pictures...

There was one day where we had a hike scheduled at Yerba Canyon near the Taos Ski Valley. We weren't sure if we were going to be able to do it because of the weather. It turned out to be the most beautiful and most adventuresome activity of them all!

This was a GREAT group!

These are some sunrise pictures from a 6am morning hike we did near Fort Burgwin...

Then, the rock climbing trip. Wind chill in the 30's or 40's that day. Hard to climb up a vertical cliff when you can't hardly feel your hands...

On the final day, we did a 12-mile mountain bike ride on the west rim of the gorge...beautiful!

Here are some pictures of what I saw while I was riding...

On the day I was supposed to drive back, I set my alarm for 4:30am so that I could get home in time to see Nikki right when she got off work. When I came around a bend on Highway 518 near Mora, NM, I saw such a beautiful view I had to stop the car and capture the moment. This picture doesn't do it justice but here you go...

Thanks for following along with my Taos experience!

D

SMU-in-Taos Post #4 - Williams Lake Snow Shoe Hike

2008-05-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

First of all, I want to share some news that Nikki is really excited about: She is going to be a marathon coach for the Dallas White Rock Marathon with Luke's Locker!! She is volunteering to lead a group of athletes for 6 months of training that will culminate with a 26.2 mile road race. In doing so, she is giving up all her Saturday mornings from now until December 14th. You rock!

Ok, the hike to Williams Lake: AWESOME! I love snow shoeing now. The views were spectacular of course. Here are all my pictures for you to check out:

wheeler peak

me and albert, a philosophy prof from serbia also teaching in the taos program

williams lake from above, we hiked 2 miles in snow shoes up a mountain to get here!

another pic of wheeler peak

closer to the lake

SMU-in-Taos Post #3: Fly Fishing in the "Everglades"

2008-05-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

Scott Tousa, the title was for you.

Yes, I actually went fly fishing and really enjoyed it. We drove about an hour outside of Taos to Cimarron.

I loved learning about the history of fly fishing from our guide and all the in's and out's as to why they do everything they do. It was fascinating.

Before we ate lunch I had caught 6 fish! I didn't catch any more after that, which made for a pretty long afternoon, but it was still easy to enjoy because it was such a beautiful day.

Here's a picture of me before heading out

first fish, but you can't see it

some casting shots

another fish

look at the view behind me, spectacular

here's a picture of our group for the day: genevieve, an smu student; david, our guide; and me

The mountain biking out here is awesome. Here are some shots from a trail right by our camp in Fort Burgwin...

Here are just some other random shots I took in town the other day. There really are some gorgeous views out here. Take note of the sky's "blueness" in the first three pics...beautiful, eh? The last picture is my favorite...

Schedule for the rest of the time here:

today - day off (i'm going to cycle about 30 miles to the gorge and back)

the gorge

tuesday - snow shoe hike to williams lake starting in the taos ski valley

williams lake

wednesday - 6am morning hike and horseback riding in the afternoon

thursday - 1pm Italianos hike

friday - funyaking (kayaking) in the rio grande

saturday - rock climbing

sunday - mountain biking on the rim of the gorge

monday - ojo caliente, a mineral springs resort & spa
http://ojocalientesprings.com/

tuesday - back to dallas!

lots to do, see you all soon,

david

SMU-in-Taos Post #2: Getting away from it all...

2008-05-14T08:11:00.000-07:00

I do not get cell phone service out here. When I want to talk on the phone I have to drive into town to get a signal. There is something to be said for the quietness that comes along with not having a phone ringing all the time. It's been nice, although I do miss my frequent conversations with Nikki throughout the day.

I forgot to to mention what I'm doing out here in the first place. I am teaching a class for SMU called "Mountain Sports." Some of the activities we do include white water rafting, fly fishing, horseback riding, kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing, snowshoeing, and hiking. It's an outdoorsman's dream and a nature lover's heaven. I am really enjoying everything, but again, I dearly miss my little spider monkey :)

I was walking to the dining hall last night and went back to my cabin to get my camera because I thought I would share with you the beautiful views I see every time I walk to breakfast or dinner...

i love this tree for some reason, i don't know why

and finally, the dining hall

This morning I'm off to go scout out a hike (Carson national forest #18) for next week and then this afternoon we will do the Divisadero Peak Loop with the Wellness class.

Have a great day!

D

SMU-in-Taos Post #1: Why do I live in Dallas?

2008-05-13T10:31:00.000-07:00

Actually, I like living in Dallas because everywhere I go, it's beautiful to me.

Taos is no exception.

Here are a few pictures I have taken so far...

this is the entrance to Fort Burgwin, where SMU-in-Taos is located

this is where i'm staying, very simple, i love it

when i walk out of my place every morning, this is what i see. we call it "THE RIDGE"

i hiked up to the ridge yesterday, here is a nice view from the top

i hiked up the ridge with Christi (in pink), the other Wellness instructor here, and Colby, a SMU student

Job Well Done Mandy

2008-05-07T05:56:00.000-07:00

Miss Luckydog Mandy Choctaw
March 29th, 2000 - May 8th, 2008

nikki, loving on mandygirl

I kept praying that I would know when it was time. And sure enough, I knew without a doubt. Nikki, Andrew, Amy, Reed & Dad helped me get there...thank you guys for your loving nudges. But they never once told me that "it was time". They left it up to me and encouraged me and prayed for me. I had to make the decision on my time, and it was pretty clear. That's all I'm gonna say about that...

As much as you can love a pet, that's how I loved Mandy. Watching her die was hard. And putting her down was even harder. Dad, Nikki & I were in the vet room with Mandy, and we finally got her to relax on the table as we all were petting her and soothing her with words. I was so happy that her last 10 to 15 minutes were peaceful. She had such a hard day with very little joy...I don't want to go in to it. But I wasn't scared when the needle went in. I knew it was time and she is in a much better place.

I am so grateful for the experience of having such a loyal pet and friend in Mandy. And I'm so glad that I am "feeling" everything that is coming to me. I'm not trying to be tough or whatever. She touched me.

A lasting image that I have in my mind is that even in her last hours and in her pain and confusion and discomfort, she still wagged that tail upon seeing me and wanted to please. Her spirit was still intact even though her body was sadly failing her. It still breaks my heart to think of these last moments, but it really made me realize what a loyal and sweet spirit she always had. I'll never forget that.

If you knew Mandy, I encourage you to comment on this blog and tell me & everybody else what you remember about her, or a funny story, etc. I know that it would lift my spirits. I love to focus on all the good things, that's for sure...

To Mandy:

Enjoy chasing the squirrels up there in dog heaven. And hopefully there are huge fields you can run in with other dogs with lakes everywhere. And food, I hope you have an endless supply of people food and the best dog food. And tell Bierngt I said 'hello,' will you?

Thanks for keeping me company through some lonely times. I didn't realize it until this morning, but I loved waking up and starting my day with serving somebody other than myself. You helped me transition from a life caring only about myself to a life more centered on serving others.

Thanks for all the laughter. You will not be forgotten. You're the best dog a guy could have asked for.

Job well done Mandy. Enjoy some much deserved rest.

Love your temporary caretaker, David

P.S. This is how I will remember you, "dees wun?"

We are far too easily pleased...

2008-04-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

I want to share with you something that hit me hard this morning. It's straight out of the book I am currently reading...

"One of the most important things I have ever read on my pilgrimage toward Christian Hedonism was from a sermon preached by C. S. Lewis in 1941. He said:

'If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.'

That's it! The enemy of worship is not that our desire for pleasure is too strong but too weak! We have settled for a home, a family, a few friends, a job, a television, a microwave oven, an occasional night out, a yearly vacation, and perhaps a new personal computer. We have accustomed ourselves to such meager, short-lived pleasures that our capacity for joy has shriveled. And so our worship has shriveled. Many can scarcely imagine what is meant by 'a holiday at the sea' -- worshipping the living God!"

Emphasis mine. I love you all.

Wanting more than the "American Dream", David