Running has been coming along pretty well. Having my friend Trent training for a half-marathon and using my new toys (Run keeper app on iPhone) to help track my training has been very effective. This past Saturday I went to run in an addition that someone had recommended I run some of my longer runs in called Biltmore Forest. She told me that it was a low traffic area and that it was a beautiful addition as well. I was excited to check it out and it was cool to finally run somewhere new. It was a little hillier than I had expected, but I was focusing on keeping my head up and breathing correctly so i wasn’t too distracted by the obsticles and instead enjoyed the new scenery. It turned out to be an amazing run and today was a good run was well. My time is improving and I’m seeing progress in all areas.
Today during my run I spent time reflecting on a movie that I started watching called Lord Save Us From Your Followers. It’s a documentary style film about the division that faith is having on America. Although I haven’t seen Religulous yet, I gather that it might be in the same vein except with the end point being that faith shouldn’t be given up on. Religulous is next on my Netflix cue, so I’ll be checking that out this week as well. As I ran I just kept thinking about how different this world might be if Christians were as passionate about loving others as trying to win arguments. What if we stopped trying to convince people that we are “right” and instead lived what we believe. How different might things be?
Today was Ash Wednesday. Last year I decided to participate in Lent differently than I had in the past. I decided to focus on doing more spiritual emphasis than abstaining from something. This year I plan on doing the same. Of the four New Year resolutions I have taken on, I’ve done really well with three of the four. Reading, running, and blogging have been very regular but blogging hasn’t taken off as well as I’d hoped. I really think that for me journaling is an essential spiritual discipline. It is where I can be totally honest with myself and really express myself in though and prayer. This year for lent my plan is to journal every night, reading through the gospel of Matthew, and reading Jesus wants to save Christians by Rob Bell and Don Golden. To make time for this I’ve limited myself to only two TV shows a day. Although I don’t like to admit it, TV can be a real time waster for me. I guess my computer can be as well, maybe next year I’ll reduce my computer usage.
Favorite song of the moment…Use Somebody by Kings of Leon.
Izzy Rodriguez 
I’m curious to hear how what you think of Religulous. Heck, I didn’t even know how to spell it until I read it here. I only had heard about it on NPR and when Maher mentioned it (shamelessly) on the Oscars.
I think it’s great that you’re blogging. I have slowed down on my a LOT in the past year. I used to post almost every day, but as I ran out of ideas and fun stories from the past, it turned into just another dad blog. Not that there’s anything wrong with dad blogs, per se, but they aren’t very appealing to folks who don’t know the dad and/or his family.
I like your suggestion that maybe Christians should stop trying to prove they are “right” and just live the word. If only everyone in every group could do that, we’d all be a lot better off.
I am excited to see Religulous, but havent gotten a chance to see Lord Save me from your followers, I started reading the book but never finished. Glad to see your running is going well and I am excited to get back to the states and get me one of the new iphones so i can track myself with GPS.. Glad things are well
Jesus Wants to Save Christians was a serious help in giving me perspective on what the Old Testament is about. I finally feel like I could sit down with anyone and in minutes, help them get it. I really loved this book. Challenging and wonderful.
Excellent blog, Izz! I can’t agree with you more. I’ve been going through a spiritual growth spurt the past few years…looking through new lenses (along the same lines you’re talking about). If we spent more time just loving people, without condition (meaning we continue to love them, even when they don’t clean-up or they don’t “convert”, etc.), I think God’s glory would shine all the more. Instead of spending our time, money and resources tract-bombing a city, let’s go hang out with our fellow, broken human beings and just love on them.
You’ve got to check out this dude, Matt Chandler (he was my pastor when I lived in Texas). He’s on i-Tunes (free sermons) or check out their site: http://hv.thevillagechurch.net/
Be well, Bro!