Tomorrow is the big day! I hit the water at 9:03 am and I hope to
make it to the finish line before 11:00 – it’s gonna be a long race.
Bekah and I went on a little photo shoot for fun, for practice and partly for my birthday – here are the results.
And of course, one of my beautiful sister – isn’t it great?!
That’s it for now. Tomorrow it’s the race then Kansas. Brian might post some tri pics.
Have you ever done something that seemed good at the time but then you later regretted it?
A few weeks ago I watched about 10 minutes of the movie “Jaws”. I
hadn’t ever seen it because my parents weren’t so keen on it, but as I
watched I thought, “wow, this movie isn’t so bad…it’s so hokey…what
a laugh”.
All seemed just fine until a week later. I was at my grandparents and
decided to do my training swim in the bay at a little beach nearby. I
was swimming in waist deep water parallel with the shore but the waves
were making it really tough. After catching a wave instead of a breath
I tried to stand up only to find my feet couldn’t touch the bottom! 
A wave of panic welled up in me that was much bigger than the two foot
swells I had been battling and I madly struck for the shore, sure that
a huge man-eating shark was right on my tail! (let me explain that as a
young kid I was also afraid of a 20 lb. bass pulling me under in the
lake 
– something about me and deep water
don’t go together) Back in shallower water I tried to reason myself out
the grip of fear while I slowly forced my stomach out of my throat
before resuming my swim. My imagination remained highly active during
the rest of the swim and every 25 yards I would sneak my feet down to
the bottom just to make sure I wasn’t drifting out into the
“shark-infested” sea.
This post has been called for by some of my readers and has been
something I’ve thought about since I took that test on drugs and
alcohol abuse.
Where do I start? Some of my thoughts have been about what is addiction
and why is it bad? If drugs didn’t kill your body or the acquisition of
them didn’t promote violence, would they be illegal?
Most drugs cause physical dependence that make it difficult, harmful
and sometimes fatal when discontinued. Hallucinatory drugs on
the other hand are mostly psychological. All are a type of escape from
life; a way to lose consciousness and ease your burdens. Sometimes the
drugs are sought by those with problems for relief, other times they
are started because of peer influence or curiosity.
With those thoughts on one track, I’d like you to take up a parallel
train of thought. Can people get spiritually addicted? Can something
rule in their life so strongly that it takes over the place that God
should hold in their heart? Is there something that they fall back on
instead of God when life gets too hard to handle.What is the opium of
religion that numbs the conscience and muffles the sounds of God’s
voice. An addiction can be a harmless or even beneficial item, liking
or activity. Sometimes it can be a slow downward association with the
world that lulls it’s addict into a stupor. The point is, has it taken
over to be the most important, what is your reaction to the thought of
giving it up? Could you do without it for a while? When trouble comes,
or a bad mood starts to take over, you’re feeling lousy, bored or even
you had a good day; what do you turn to? If you get strung out on music
or “rave” on exercise, if you spend all afternoon in an “x-box den” or
you shoot up with a dose of the internet then maybe you should consider
a “rehab” program. Those things may be enjoyed in moderation but can be
dangerous and killing to the soul in excess. God wants to talk with
you, but if you shut him out with mind occupying alternatives then you
will miss the reality of living a life with Him.
What are you addicted to?
I passed my test! I think that I am now totally done!!! 
I say “think” because that is the fifth time I have taken my “last”
test. May be I just like the rush of finishing and wanted to repeat it
several times. 
Anyhow, unless I get thrown another curve ball, as afar as I’m concerned I’m done; college is over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
Tomorrow I take my last test; excited, aprehensive, ready, not ready. Please pray.
