Stale Fuel

I own a 1999 Yamaha 350 Big Bear Quad. I took it out riding for the last time this season about a month ago. While on a trail, the engine ran rough and at times stalled; not a good thing when you are on a steep trail. Then, at one point the battery died. I had to use the pull start to get going again. I discovered that my fuel was stale and old and the battery had no juice left. My quad has been designed and engineered to ride on trails, go over obstacles and through mud. When the fuel is stale and old, the engine will not have the power to do those things. When the fuel is no good, the quad will stall and sputter; sometimes in the most difficult and dangerous places.

Our bodies have been designed and engineered to take us places. When we put stale fuel in our body, when we eat chemicals in place of real food, we will stall and sputter. Wonder why you have aches and pains? Wonder why you're body is tired all the time? Fuel! The old saying "You are what you eat" is true. Being fit and in shape is 80% food and 20% exercise. Yes, I am on a soapbox, no I have not always and even now do not eat healthy all the time. Yes, these words are difficult to hear, no, I will not stop. 11 years ago I weighed 246 pounds. I lost 66 pounds. Earlier this year I began to creep back up. On Jan 2, I tipped the scales at 209. Enough! Time to take care of this once and for all. Exercise and nutrition were key for me. Successes include losing 24 pounds so far, no soda for over a month and getting off of Lipitor and lowering my cholesterol. Failures are many and setbacks are at every corner. However, I will not allow those to define me. I have committed to eating well so that I can enjoy life, so that as I grow older, I will not need medicine to get me going or stop me up.

Spiritually, do you experience anxiety more than peace, frustration more than patience? The answer is simple: FUEL! I heard a pastor say once "If you want more faith, then you need more Jesus in your life. Dr. Phil and Oprah or Matthew, Mark, Luke and John? Perhaps the reason you struggle, sputter and fail is due to stale fuel in your life. Have you found yourself out of fuel in a difficult and dangerous place? Temptation, traps and turmoil? The Word of God is living, breathing and full of life; never stale and never out of power.
Keep Running,
Steve

Why I run.

I remember in Kindergarten running around like a crazy man.  Yelling, screaming having a great time.  I then remember going to the doctor and being told I had some disease (Leggs-Perthes) in my hips.  I was admitted to the hospital and my legs were put in traction.  5 years old.  I could no longer walk.  The hospital bed contained me for two weeks.  It was there I learned to whistle.  Apparently I pushed the call button too many times.  Unfortunately, the only whistle I knew was the cat-call; probably taught to me by my brothers.  So, when a nurse would walk by, I would whistle a cat-call.  She would come in and I would ask for ice cream.  Never mind that it was only 6 am. A cast from navel to my feet was the next treatment.  I think that lasted for 6 weeks.  Then, a wheelchair.  A wheelchair.  That lasted for the next 5 years.  Not until the middle of 4th grade was I able to get up and use those legs to run around and act crazy.  Not until I was ten years old was I able to ride a bike, go out for a pass, play hide and seek effectively (hiding is tough when you're in a wheelchair) run from my siblings, or simply run because I could. What a glorious day.  I remember the day my dad came home from work and knelt at one end of the hallway.  I got up out of my chair and walked towards him; into his arms.

Why do I run?  Because I can.  Running is a gift.  When we lose something valuable we have feeling of regret.  We wish we would have had more time with a loved one or not taken a friendship or relationship for granted.  I have been told by some doctors to not run.  And I quote "Your running days are over."  Never!  My running days have just began.  I had lost my ability to run.  I value every moment I can walk, every time I can run and every opportunity to run around like a crazy man.
Keep Running!
Steve

A Challenge

I have thought about starting a blog for quite some time.  I will share stories, successes, failures and encouragement.  I hope this will be a place where we can spur each other in this journey we call life.  

More to come.

Keep Running,

Steve