First Race

I entered my first mountain bike race yesterday. It's been a long time since I raced anything. My family owned a Honda motorcycle dealership growing up, so I've been riding and racing on two wheels for a long time, but not since early college. I decided last summer that I needed to reconnect to the woods and mountain biking would be the connection.

So, yesterday was the day that I would try racing again. I knew going in that I was not going to be stiff competition for anyone and it was more about overcoming my anxiety to be competitive. The race format was a time trial which is a one lap race as fast as you can go of the given track. This race was held at Winona Lake in Warsaw which is home to a 10-mile loop. I think about 40 people showed to race yesterday. There are the really fast guys, the average guys, and then the beginners like me. There were even a handful of women that raced.

Finally the results... I finished, no wrecks, I had fun, I surprised myself, and Michelle and I met new people. I finished the 10-mile loop in 1:01 and the fastest time was 37 minutes. I have a long way to go to be super competitive.

I look forward to the next race...

Post High Group

Michelle and I had the opportunity to share our stories this past Saturday with a group of post high students looking for guidance and a place to have a conversation about how to be change to a world they are becoming angst about. We were able to share about how the last few years for us has been a whirlwind of life change and growing increasingly aware of the social issues of our city and our world. How I transitioned from a career of marketing to a career of helping people find solutions to their needs. And, how Michelle works with families that have so much going on in their lives with a sick children and a whole lot of other social issues.

We're not sure that we are all that compelling, but believe God is wrecking our lives on purpose so we become more about others and less about ourselves. It's good to see young adults come together and dialogue together about social change...and more importantly get together and talk about how they need to change the way they live their lives to be a part of the solution.

Personal transformation is at the core of it all. Living in the tension of our need to change and living in the tension of felt needs is crucial to our discipleship in Christ.

To a tension filled journey....

Time Warp

So, since I work out of my home, I spend a lot of time in coffee shops. If you are from Fort Wayne, then you know the coffee shop brand of stores called Aspen. Aspen had a lodge type feel to the stores. Light & dark woods, brown leather furniture, etc.. Typical coffee shop feel with a slight Lodge feel.

Well, Aspen recently sold to Espresso Gallery, another local coffee shop franchise. Obviously they needed to update the space to fit their brand of shop and the look they desired. The above picture shows the new look.

It looks like they time warped, but I'm not sure which direction they went. Into the future or back to the past... Good idea, maybe.. maybe just poor execution. I'm not sure and totally realize this is my own opinion and won't be held by all.

If your journey needs a coffee break, stop by and decide for yourself.

Bike Commuting...Kinda

So...I'll be honest and say that I drive a Land Rover. It's pretty amazing. Everything that I could want in a vehicle and it does more than any average human being needs a vehicle to do...BUT if you ever find yourself in the Sahara Dessert or in the traversing the back county in Colorado, you have the correct ride to do so.. Plus it's got a sweet name, Clifford.

If I'm even more honest, I'll admit it's not the most logical vehicle one should drive or spend their money on. It's extravagant and maybe not the wisest purchase I've ever made even though I love it, it's useful for us, and we don't have any interest in getting rid of it. We hope to drive the wheels off of it as most people try to say. If you have known me in the past, vehicles are a weakness.

Anyway.. even though the vehicle is a major contributor to global warming and my carbon footprint and even probably the cause for the gas prices due to the massive amounts of fuel "Clifford" needs, my wife Michelle and I are doing a little more everyday to reduce our effect on the environment. Recycling, renewable resources & daily goods, and the new option, commuting via bike...kinda. Making responsibly decisions to have a positive effect are hard and require constant questioning.

I recently took post close to downtown Ft Wayne on South Calhoun and have decided that in an effort to be more green and to be healthier, that driving to my work post and then commuting around town will be my first step towards these goals. I frequently have meetings or lunches downtown which is just a short ride. My hope is that I will gain the courage to ride the bus from my apartment with my bike to the office and then be totally dependent on the bike and bus. Baby steps.. Navigating the Citilink system seems crazy. The other major factor is the "sweat" factor. Come 80 degree temperatures, comes a new dilemma that follows large guys like me. I'm not too sure my meetings will appreciate a sweaty guy.

So, if you are interested in joining the bikes & buses challenge or want to keep me accountable, just let me know.

Here is to journeys via bikes & buses -

It's About Time

Sorry for the sideway picture, but couldn't figure out how to rotate it in this blogging system. Anyway, just a picture to highlight my new addiction to mountain biking. The trails were beginning to dry out early this week which lead to three good rides. Unfortunately, it's rained again and is in the forecast for the next few days which slows the progress.

I am realizing that mountain biking is difficult. It's like riding a bike through sand at times and like constant sprinting when you hit a hill. I'm glad I have a lot of experience riding trails from my dirt bike years growing up. I upgraded to clip in pedals in which your shoes actually click into your pedals and become attached for those unaware of serious biking. So far it's not as difficult or scary as I was anticipating, but I'm sure I'm in for an epic crash in which I can't get my feet unattached soon enough.

So, anyone that wants to begin riding, let me know. I'm hoping to ride 4-5 times a week or more. We'll see though.

Not Sure What To Think

Friday night I get a call from a like named individual that doubles as a great friend about some recent tickets to see Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds play acoustically at Assembly Hall on IU's campus on behalf of Barak Obama's campaign. It was a rally to get young college kids to at least register to vote as today is the last day to register in the state if Indiana.

I said it sounds amazing. Dave & Tim acoustic, and part of a political campaign at a major US college campus. I think I'd like to see something like that and just take in the event. Well, the tickets were free to most, but it took some cash to get ours, no biggy, kinda expected. It's a general admission show, which means getting in line way too many hours early just to get a couple of good seats. A free general admission show that includes Dave Matthews and a college campus recently rated to the top party college in the US just means another reason to camp out the night before in line and party nonstop until the show begins. You see a little bit of everything, including a table and chairs in the middle of the line hosting some cards.

Needless to say, most students were way past normal and in full "good times" mode. To say students were there because of their political interest in support of Obama would just not be true except for a small percentage, and those were the student volunteers. As my friend Andrew mentioned, the students of IU are NOT in support of Obama's environmental policy as they leave their trash strewn throughout the place.

In my most optimistic state I believe the youth of this country are the future and the change makers, but my hope took a major blow yesterday. To see the lawlessness and blatant lack of respect for each other and themselves was sad to see. So, the concert and event's purpose was amazing, but not sure if it was worth 4.5hrs of waiting including 5hrs of round trip travel. I'm glad it was the nicest day of the year!

What's Right?

Had a good morning in a place I need to spend more time. A place where Christ following individuals are trying to help people, but in a way that forces the recipient to be part of the solution. A place where the leadership holds people accountable to the assistance they are seeking. A place I think a lot of people providing assistance to people need to serve.

For example. If you are requesting financial assistance for an electric bill due to not having a job. Not only must you provide you bill, ID, financial records, you must answer a handful of other questions. They check to see if there are any warrants out for your arrest and also IndianaUnclaimed.com to see if you have any money out there waiting for you to claim. Say you owe $500. They review all the info they've collected and may decide they will provide $125 towards that bill, in which they will write directly to the service provider. Before you get that cash, depending on your situation, you must come up with the rest of the funds to completely pay the bill somehow, attend at least one church session at a church of your choice, complete two bible studies just to get the person in the word at their home, look for a job in at least 10 places, and do all this within 2-weeks. You have to do all this prior to them writing the check. So, it makes you really work for the assistance. I felt like everything they were asking of someone was within a healthy boundary.

As I interact with more people in need and wrestle with thoughts on community development and understand more of who Christ is calling us to be, I need more situations like this to operate in. I quickly realize that I need to be in situations where I interact with those in need more often to know what is the right or the wrong thing to do. I can't continue operating out of my safe, comfortable area and feel confident that I know what's best. What I think is best, is typically jaded and best for me, not them.

Think about that you as you journey this week.. Are you spending time in the margins.