Showing posts with label What's Next. Show all posts
Showing posts with label What's Next. Show all posts

Friday, November 15, 2013

"The road goes ever on and on"

True Trail Runners: Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Lord Of The Rings
Yesterday, someone asked me, "Do you like Lord of the Rings?"

I replied, "No, not really.  When I was in high school I watched the first movie of the trilogy six times in the theater, but that was about the extent of my fandom."


***I did write an earlier blog post called "What Would Bilbo Do?"
****I also collected Lord Of The Rings action figures during my fandom, I still have them somewhere

-----

I came across this Lord of the Rings quote when I was finishing up the Iowa Awake My Sole trek:



“The road goes ever on and on” 
― J.R.R. TolkienThe Hobbit

----

The last mile of the 1339 mile Iowa Awake My Sole journey.  Taken in December 2012.
Pic courtesy of Sioux City Journal 

After running and speaking across the state of Iowa for the year, I didn't get to the end of the yearlong journey, and say "I'm done with life."

I was done with this particular task, but I wasn't finished with living.  

I was merely at the beginning of something new, unknown, challenging and unexpected.

---

I've seen people set a goal, work towards achieving it, and when achieved, they wrestle with "What's next?  How could I possibly set another goal, or achieve something like I just achieved?"

This road of life goes "on and on."

Where and when does it end?

Some believe it's at our last breath.  Others believe our last breath is the ushering into what's next.

--

Author Donald Miller often writes about how he goes about seeking out the next adventure for his life.  He envisions the end of his life, standing before Creator God who says, "Well done my good and faithful servant."  From this envisioned encounter with Creator God, he tries to implement things that would evoke such words from Creator God.
 
-

Some quotes from Donald Miller's book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life


“It wasn't necessary to win for the story to be great, it was only necessary to sacrifice everything.” 
“If you watched a movie about a guy who wanted a Volvo and worked for years to get it, you wouldn’t cry at the end when he drove off the lot, testing the windshield wipers. You wouldn’t tell your friends you saw a beautiful movie or go home and put a record on to think about the story you’d seen. The truth is, you wouldn't remember that movie a week later, except you’d feel robbed and want your money back. Nobody cries at the end of a movie about a guy who wants a Volvo.  But we spend years actually living those stories, and expect our lives to be meaningful. The truth is, if what we choose to do with our lives won't make a story meaningful, it won’t make a life meaningful either”
-

music from the Awake My Sole journey

"This is Not the End" by Gungor

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

The Seasons Are a Changin'

Bob Dylan sings, "The times they are a changing."  

This is a post of the possible changes and "What's next?" for the AMS journey.

Winter
Running in a Iowa winter blizzard (Kingsley to Orange City)
Protecting my face from the elements
 Spring
Running from Webster City to Ames in Spring.  Flowers on the side of the road.
Yes, those are IronMan sunglasses.  

Summer
Running to Waterloo Iowa.  Super hot summer in Iowa.  Had to stay in Independence a night due to extreme heat.  

This particular summer running day, I consumed eight 24-ounce waters, six 32-ounce Gatorades, a camel back, and additional fluids.  The summer was very hot & humid.  The toughest run was Iowa City to Grinnell.

Which brings us to Fall AKA Autumn... the changing of the seasons.

  • Trees shed their leaflets.  
  • Days get shorter. 
  • It gets colder.
  • Sweaters come out of the closets (unless you live in Florida).
  • Pumpkins are carved & turned into delicious pies.  
  • Coffee shops put out their seasonal nutmeg spiced latte.  


Life is like the seasons.  Change happens and we transition, good for us.  Often times difficult and tough, but ultimately good.  Each person or group of people need challenge, risk, meaning and purpose.  If we aren't finding that in what we are currently pursuing, we feel stagnant or bored, not alive, and we long for the next season, the next change, where we are challenged and hopefully come alive.  

I write this blog post, cause the Awake My Sole journey has experienced the four seasons of Iowa: Winter, Spring, Summer & Fall.  

The AMS dream began in 2007 amidst conversation in a office entry way.  It's now three months till the running portion of the AMS journey ENDS. Many have asked, "What's the next season of the AMS journey?"  

We're not sure yet.  We're in a waiting period, seeking discernment inspired by the Creator and wisdom from others.  

Some of ideas include:
  • Get someone else to RUN/Speak the AMS route.
  • Write something about the AMS journey.
  • Have a summer relay run across the state of Iowa to help raise $$$ to build water wells.
  • Continue the journey, maybe across another state.  
  • Continue to speak.    
  • End the AMS journey.  Wrap it up, let it be what is was.
  • Start a mentoring program for younger boys, combing running/mentoring together
  • Have an Awake My Sole speaking tour with multiple runners.
  • Your idea: ___________________________.    

Keep AMS in your thoughts and prayers as we discern what's next.  

Here are some Autumn pics... Enjoy!!!   









Thursday, December 1, 2011

Run, Three Days, Twelve Person Relay Team



During the summer of 2014 we are considering assembling a twelve person relay running team.

The Idea is to raise money for a good cause (For Example: Helping support the CLEAN WATER MOVEMENT of Ames)

Tentative Details
  • 1 large van
  • 12 runners
  • Each person raises $1000 to run (total of $12,000)
  • Relay Run the Awake My Sole route (700 miles)
  • One person runs at a time.  When they are tired, they jump in the van, rest and another runner begins runs.
  • 3 or 4 days of running.
Interested in being one of the twelve runners?  Email AwakeMySole@gmail.com

Not a runner, Interested in directing this RELAY?  Email AwakeMySole@gmail.com


MORE INFO and DETAILS COMING SOON!

Weeklong Speaking Tour Across Iowa


In Spring OR Fall of 2013, we are hoping to put together a weeklong Speaking Tour Across Iowa.  Including runners & speakers from the original Awake My Sole route.

More info coming soon.

Wish to help out, email AwakeMySole@gmail.com

Write

In 2013 we will be working on writing a book based on the Awake My Sole journey.

Want to help on the writing team?  

  • Revising
  • Editing
  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Publishing
  • Etc.


Click HERE to help out: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AMSwriting/

Or Email AwakeMySole@gmail.com