Well, blow me down! Literally, it almost happened today! Not even kidding. And, lucky for you, it's Friday... so I can tell you about it!
1. HARDEST HALF EVER
My "long run" this week was only 13 miles. I say "only" because it is sandwiched between long runs of 18 and 19 miles. Yet, yes, it's still plenty long enough. And especially so today...
I lollygagged around until 9:30 or so and finally headed out. My was it windy. Then it started to get windier! I've run in wind before, but not like this. I've also run in rain, snow, sleet, heat, and all kinds of other inclement weather... and none were worse than today.
There were trees down, limbs blowing around, and even just the leaves hitting me in the face were enough to hurt! I was actually worried about a tree falling on me or being impaled with a limb. I did have two full trees blown down across my path (greenway to Foster Park), and at 12.64 miles I felt a funny tinge in my shin... Yep, there was a power line down on Winchester Road. A police officer came running and told me to turn around and go another way. Sure enough, when I got home, our power was out (though not for long).
All that said, I was completely worn out from the constant wall of wind at supposedly 45mph with gusts up to 60mph. It was not fun. At all.
2. NO TAX
Just in time for tax season... comes this article in The Guardian about Americans who are withholding their federal income tax to protest against trump. Apparently if you don't want part of your taxes to go toward funding war, ICE, and certain other things... you can just not pay that portion. Of course, you run the risk of the IRS coming after you. If that's even a thing anymore. Didn't 'the donald' basically gut the organization?
Here's a link to the National War Tax Resistance web site if you would like more info.
To be clear... we will likely be paying our taxes. We aren't wealthy enough to avoid the strong arm of the IRS, and I doubt what we make will make much difference either way...
3. TOURNAMENT TIME
I almost forgot that it is March. Not only does it appear to be mad on this March day (dang wind), but there is also much madness happening. I believe the Fighting Illini of Illinois are playing their first B10 tourney game right now. I haven't watched or followed them much this year. Once again they have the potential to go far... which usually means they'll make an early exit. Whatever. That said, I am a big fan of freshman Keaton Wagler.
4. BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS
I have started reading Healing What's Within, by Chuck DeGroat. However, I've also been going through Slow Theology, by A.J. Swoboda and Nijay Gupta, while working on a blog post and another Sunday message for our church. And, like that's not enough, I'm re-reading portions of The Shape of Joy by Richard Beck, since our elder group is discussing it. So, that's kind of a lot to keep track of for me. Another book I'd like to go through again is Richard Rohr's The Tears of Things. That was a good book.
I keep telling myself that one of these years I'm not going to buy any new books, I'm just going to re-read ones I already have. Someday...
5. THE QUOTE
"...I can love Jesus. As I said, I don't know about his Father. The only thing I can say about God the Father is that he's lucky to have such a lovable Son. Sometimes I think that if I had to go by his track record instead of just taking Jesus' word for his good character, I wouldn't give him the time of day. And I don't know about the Holy Spirit either. So much hot air has been let off in his name that if Jesus hadn't said he was sending him, I'd write him off too. But Jesus I can love. He does everything, I do nothing. I just trust him. It is a nifty arrangement, and for a deadbeat like me, it is the only one that can possibly work. As long as I am in him, I bear fruit. As long as his death feeds my roots, I will never be cut down..."
- Robert Farrar Capon, from his book Between Noon and Three: Romance, Law, and the Outrage of Grace (our pastor sent this excerpt to me this morning)
Well, I better end this. The power has went out twice since I started trying to write this post, and I don't want to have to start over yet again.
Happy Friday, friends! Don't blow away!
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