Category Archives: Growth

Bird’s Nest in my Hair- NO!

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Yesterday I came to midafternoon and did not want to work out or run–just wanted to get a beer and coast toward the end of a good day.

But often now I refocus on the “against the tide” reality presented in “Younger Next Year” and I get up and go.

It was a grind. I ran without feeling like it. I ran a couple of miles, then did a mile of sprints, setups, etc. at the track. Then to Refinery in Champaign for weights which were hard to complete. Then ran a mile home. It all took about 1.5 hrs. Good workout.

Today I fell like going again and this happens every time.

This morning while rereading “Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren, I came across the old Martin Luther quote. “You cannot keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.”

I love keeping moving, shaking off the stiffness and doing new things, pushing back against the tide.

It is a key part of pursuing “Your Best Third Third“.

I am headed for that 50 miler at Run Rabbit Run again in 11 months–and I am going to better my time! Reasonable  and healthy goal.

It’s a bit of a grind but I am headed back to Run Rabbit Run.

The Message

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Proverbs 4:23 this morning:

  • Its ok
  • I am here
  • I am close
  • I love you
  • You’ve got it
  • Do not be afraid
  • Follow me
  • I am getting a place ready for you
  • I’ll be back…soon
  • Yes

This last one came from son Joel as we were sitting at the fire the other evening by the barn. We were talking about his future.

Joel said quietly, “God says yes all the time”.

“God speaks to me every time fire like this”  —Joel Hensleigh

The Barn

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This old barn out at the woods along the Middle Fork is our dream.

It just has not really ever been lived in or even used that much. Its empty–I mean it has our junk in it–but it has no soul to it yet. But it is in this stunning and perfect location–as if someone had an idea about sitting in that barn and gazing and the majestic woods and creeks around.

So it is now like a distant image of a real home… time, weather and the abuse of the environment have taken a deep toll over the years.

The place is run down and beaten up–siding worn and full of holes, doors don’t work well, some rotting, sagging. But it has these bones that wont quit–poles, trusses, solid cement floor.

It never was really finished–there is no proper lane up to it, the windows aren’t quite there, no plantings around. But someone had a plan back there about 50 years ago. They started an idea and put it in place.

The connections to this barn never quite got made. There is abundant artesian water, good electricity, a sewage system underground, and natural gas along the road out front–but none of it is effectively connected to it.

We are going to change all of this. We have a vision, a plan for renewal, the money to do it all, and some skilled guys who will work for us to make it happen. It will be reshaped, renewed, fully fixed.

And one day we will call it home.

It will be fully repurposed and will be the site of days of joy, love, and family.

We Have Lost

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We have lost so much…so that we are lost.

We have lost;

  • A view and understanding of history and it’s value
  • The ability to speak and to think clearly
  • The wonder of power, hope, eternity.
  • The reality of our own ignorance, littleness, and need
  • The value of discussing issues openly
  • The pressing essential value of what Francis Schaeffer called True Truth
  • The promise of being forgiven, clear, ok and a child
  • The essential qualities of respect, decorum, love, and honesty
  • The priority of giving your life away
  • The skill od relationship: no triangles, listen, love respect, real and authentic communication
  • The anchor that I am created, God is Good and to know Him is everything
  • The building block that I am a created being: loved, specially gifted, and the light of the world

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