Choose your counsel wisely...

Whilst out cycling the other morning a couple drove past me, slowed up and asked me for some directions to a particular venue. They had to proceed to the traffic circle and turn left, which is what I told them...only once they were out of sight did I realize that I forgot about another traffic circle which is before the one I told them about. It was at this traffic circle that they turned left (the wrong one), just like I told them to, the road I sent them on was a 4x4 dirt track that the local farmers use, it had been raining and the road was rather "muddy", and they were driving a luxury BMW, not a car made for this type of road! I had to laugh as I cycled past the dirt road. I hope that poor couple found their destination in the end, but it got me thinking.

A good lesson can be learnt here...make sure you go to the right place when looking for advice, make sure your guide knows where he's going. Go to the right source when looking for guidance. Jesus is that source! So often we go to our friends when we want some advice, they mean well (just as I did with that couple), but they are probably sending you in the wrong direction.

When you need help...ask the right person and that person is Jesus!

Pain and Perseverance

  

After about 70km on the bike (in the blazing sun) this morning I started to think about...pain. Pain most certainly is not pleasant and no one likes to be in pain. But what it does is it brings life and everything around you into sharp focus. Pain makes you feel, think, question, doubt...

Pain is also so much more than just a physiological sensation it has emotional, psychological and social implications

I can’t help think about Jesus and the time in his life when he was falsely accused, betrayed, arrested, tortured and nailed to a cross. He knows what it is to experience pain, he was not exempt from it, and even though he did ask the father if this cup could be taken from him...he still embraced it, I think because he knows that pain has value.  The Bible talks a lot about perseverance, for example in the book of Revelation it talks about the fact that those who persevere will inherit the kingdom of God. Pain is one way of testing our Perseverance.

I guess what I am saying is pain...is not all bad. Some Pain is a good thing because it makes the end, the victory, the finish line so much sweeter

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hebrews 12:1  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (NIV)

94.7...Done

Well, I have finished my first 94.7 cycle race and really enjoyed the experience. My start time was rather late (9:15) and by the time I started the race it was already 35 degrees - so it was very hot. I finished the race in 3h40min and finished 5th out of my start group, which I am relatively happy about. My poor wife had to sit in the sun all day waiting for me to finish, so at least I had one supporter there which was nice. Next is the Jailbreak triathlon to be held down in the Cape in December it will be my last training event before Ironman in January.

94.7

This Sunday is the 94.7 cycle challenge it will be the first time that I do it, it is a 95km cycle race in and around Johannesburg. I am hoping to do it in about 3h30min so let's see how close I can get to my goal. We had our Bible study group last night and I was just once again remind of the truth and the value of the lessons found in the book of James especially when it comes to "the tongue", how important it is to tame the tongue. We can cause so much damage, hurt and ruin our reputation (which takes years to build) by shooting our mouths off. The Bible tells us that wise is the one who holds his tongue! May God give us the wisdom to know what to say, when to say it and how to say it!

The Sheep

I saw something this morning, whilst out on the bike which was such a visible reminder of God’s love for us. I was cycling past a sheep farm and one sheep escaped and was running in and alongside the road, this silly sheep was putting himself and passing motorists in a great deal of danger.  The farmer had stopped and was running around trying to round this one lost sheep up – but this was one stubborn sheep and he (it had to be a boy sheep) was having none of it, running round in circles doing its best to avoid the farmer.

Coming back along the same road I saw that the farmer was still busy trying to get this sheep back to safety, into the fold. 

It was just such a beautiful picture and a reminder that my God will not give up on me, he is persistent and relentless in his love for me – he is committed to my salvation and wellbeing.

“The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” – Luke 19:10 (GN)

Why?

I have often wondered why I have decided to do this. Is it just a "midlife crisis" or is there more to it? I think there are several reasons...I think it started when I was reminded that I have lived longer than my father, who died when barely in his thirties, and that life is indeed short and we must seize every moment.

Another reason for all this madness is I really want to set a good example for my children and teach them that they must live life to its fullest and I believe that means living with a healthy respect for your self (by looking after your body); others and the environment. We live in such a ravenously secular society where our focus on self and self gratification has led us to a place where we have lost respect for self, others, the environment and most importantly we have lost our spirituality. So, I think that this journey is perhaps all about rediscovery those things in my own life once again.

A couple more reasons...on a far more simplistic level I think that I am doing this so that it is one more thing that I can tick of my "bucket list" (things to do before you die). To prove to myself that I can do it and  to teach my children that it is a big mistake to judge a book by its cover. Never judge on appearances only!

Survival...

Wow...that was the toughest race I have ever done in my life. I now know why they call it Africa's toughest triathlon. It was a long day and everything that could go wrong just about did, I lost my water bottle on the first lap, I fell of the bike and damaged my gears so I only a a few gears that worked...and it was hot! There was one particular time (on the last lap going up the last climb) where I felt like getting of the bike, sitting by the side of the road and having a good cry! I really struggled...but I did it!

Lessons...well I don't know except to say that I was reminded again that you need to put in the hard work behind the scenes (when no one is watching) if you want to reap the rewards (when everyone is watching)...private victory precedes public victory.

Global 11 Sun City Triathlon

I am racing this weekend in my first full Olympic distance race, I am somewhat nervous but mostly I can't wait. The Swim is 1.5km in the Sun City dam followed by a 40km bike out on the road and then a 10km run around the Gary Player golf course. I am excited because my family is coming with me and we will be camping in the Pilansberg. 
http://www.11global.com/Sun-City-2010

The Tortoise

I am privileged enough to cycle at a world heritage site, the cradle of human kind, as I was cycling this morning I came across a tortoise crossing the road, he was happily moving along and then when I came along on my bike he must have felt threatened and responded in the usual tortoise manner by withdrawing into his shell, in the middle of the road, as if by him going in to his shell his problem (me) would magically disappear. The reality however is that now he was in more danger than before, so I stopped, picked him up and placed in the bush on the side of the road.

It got me thinking about us humans, and how we respond when faced with a tough situation; many of us withdraw into our “shells” and hide away in the hope that our problems will disappear. These “shells” have different names. I have seen friends who when faced with the challenges of life resort to alcohol thinking that their problems will just go away, but in reality they are now in more danger just like that tortoise that stopped in the middle of the road.

Hiding or running away from your problems, or pretending they don't exist does not make them any less real nor does it make them go away, in fact when I don’t deal with that which is before me it only compounds it and places me in greater harm’s way.

Jesus promised us that he will never give us more than we can bear, he also promised that he will be with me even when I walk in the valley of the shadow of death.

Hebrews 13:5  “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you”

The Beginning...

I want to write about my life's journey and some of my learnings along the way. About two years ago (after celebrating my 35th birthday) I decided to make some changes in my life and one of those areas was my health. I decided to do something that I have always convinced myself I can never do...a triathlon, once I did my first triathlon I was hooked and it wasn't long before I decided to challenge myself even more by entering the Ironman 70.3 Buffalo City Triathlon. This blog will be my way of sharing my journey and life lessons learnt as a legacy for my children. Matthew, Bethany I hope that one day you will read this and be inspired to truly believe in yourselves - because we do and more importantly God does.

Jailbreak Triathlon 2009