Remember, there is no minimum fundraising requirement, so be prayerful as you set your goal and then passionate for the world's poor as you seek to meet the goal, whether it's $100 or $1,000.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
sample fundraising letter
Remember, there is no minimum fundraising requirement, so be prayerful as you set your goal and then passionate for the world's poor as you seek to meet the goal, whether it's $100 or $1,000.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
The Hole in our Gospel
Sunday, May 24, 2009
This week's Scripture/Commentary
Commentary: Throughout his letters St. Paul uses running as an analogy of a Christian life. As in the verse above, he often compares spiritual discipline to that required to run a race. Spiritual disciplines including prayer, Bible reading, and worship help us by grace to grow in Christ. Maintaining these disciplines requires a positive choice and some effort/action on our part. The same can be said for running.
How's everyone doing?
I came in at 12.5 minutes per mile, and though that may seem really slow to some, I find it a miracle that I have accomplished that in six weeks' time. I did wear a heart monitor this past Saturday and was in the red zone for the majority of my 6 miles. This was discouraging, but Don said that this should be considered normal for my beginner self and will continue to come down as my fitness improves. It will be good to check it in a few weeks to see if it has come down any.
How about you? How are you doing? Let us know!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Run after Jesus
1 Timothy 4: 7b Keep yourself in training for a godly life. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is valuable in every way, because it promises life for both the present and the future. (TEV)
Commentary: There is a strong connection in my life between running and spirituality. I often combine the physical exercise with spiritual by praying or meditating. Running helps me appreciate the glory of God's nature. I view every run as a gift from God and an opportunity for spiritual growth.
(p.s. I am not sure who wrote the guide and commentaries...when I make that discovery I'll be sure to credit and reference them. Thanks, Don, for providing this for us.)
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
"Run" by LeCrae
Last summer a group called One One Six Clique came to Sullivan Park to do a Christian hip hop concert. The group came out to our acreage for a picnic one night and Nathan, our son, was all about hangin' out with these guys. The concert was awesome, and we ended up with several of their CD's. LeCrae has a bit of a Jamaican hip hop song called "Run" that I've been listening to in my ipod rotation. Enjoy! :)
Monday, May 18, 2009
Wednesday morning group runs
Thursday, May 14, 2009
What do you want to hear about?
Can what you do with your upper body while your running help or hurt you?
Is there an optimal stride length, heel lift or general running form that is most efficient?
What is the most effective way to prevent chafing?
Hydration, how much, how often, water, or sport drink?
As the run gets longer how important is what I eat the night before and the morning of the run?
How do I treat/prevent/run with blisters?
Don't be afraid to ask questions, little things that normally would not be a concern, can become a big concern when you have to live with it for 26.2 miles.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
When you run....
Music seems to be what keeps me going. I am especially fond of something with a good beat...Toby Mac has been a favorite of mine. My brother just recently gave me an ipod shuffle as a present and he loaded it with 480 songs. Since you can't see titles/artists on a shuffle, every song is a surprise. He's put on some good ol' 70's, and has some of his favorites on there for me...Neil Diamond, James Taylor, Nanci Griffith, Creedence Clearwater Revival. Makes me smile and think of him as I sing "Down on the Corner" and the like.
What do you listen to or where do your thoughts most often go while running?
Checks or Cash
1. You can update your fundraising page by going to the bottom and finding where you edit. On your fundraising page, you will see a place in the bottom right hand corner for offline giving. You can add in what is given to you by people.
2. People should give YOU the checks and make them out to World Vision. You'll then mail them in with a donation form that you can download and print at http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/getinvolved/teamwv-checkdonations. Some may give you cash and you'll need to write out the check to send in. Send all check and cash donations to:
World Vision
PO Box 70200
Tacoma, WA 98481-0200
3. You can also just find a lot of frequently asked questions and answers at www.teamworldvision.org/chicagomarathon
Hope this helps!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Tell us a story!
Good News: Yesterday, I was out on our country road for 28 minutes and only walked 2 of those minutes! That's a first for me, as I had been stopping about every 5 minutes to walk a minute up to that point. Bad News: I got in my car to see how far I went and discovered I had only gone 2 miles! That's a pretty slow mile time....nowhere to go but faster and further!
On the bright side, I love the discipline that gets me out there when I would have otherwise blown off exercise in my day, and I love that I can jog (even though it may be ever so slowly) more than a mile without stopping now. I see progress!
Share a story of what you're encountering and enjoying as you train. And watch the video below...it's inspirational!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
This is us in 2009!
I thought this was a great and short video to fire you up! Check this out, and then, if you have not yet set a goal for fundraising, prayerfully consider doing that in the next week and listing it on your firstgiving page. We have raised almost $2,000 so far as a team! I would be happy to strategize with you about how to go about fundraising for World Vision. Drop me an email if you want some help. lhoy@orchardhillchurch.org.
Bill Hybels, leader of Willow Creek, just interviewed Richard Stearns, president of World Vision, a few weeks ago and bought 10,000 copies of Stearn's new book The Hole in our Gospel for the Willow congregation. You can check out that interview at http://www.worldvision.org/ and you might even consider buying the book at Amazon.com: The Hole in Our Gospel: What does God expect of Us ...
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
SHOUT 4 Change Run
SHOUT Ministries is led by a group of young leaders in East Waterloo. I sit on the board of SHOUT and am a friend/mentor to SHOUT's president, Chassidi Ferguson. SHOUT's mission is to tear down the walls of injustice, hatred, and violence through evangelistic events and outreach. Some of our Orchard Hill friends had the pleasure of traveling to Miami together last October with three of SHOUT's leaders for a conference on Christian Community Development. Our hope and prayer is that God will work through these relationships to do His transformational Kingdom work in our community.
There will be SHOUT 4 Change registration forms/maps out at this Saturday's group run or if you're interested, you can also download the registration form at www.shoutministries.org.
Peace,
Laura Hoy