ONE WEEK LEFT

(Original posting - here)

... The final stretch is here!

This morning at Mosaic they announced the Pasadena Marathon/Half-Marathon will cause some traffic problem for the gathering next Sunday. I must admit that I was kind of excited to think of the extra traffic that 8,000+ runners will cause!

I was thinking about the race and how I am going to "attack" the course. Certainly I won't win the thing. I may not even place in the top 100 (although I think I could, and maybe should, do that). However regardless of how I do the funds will be raised for the center which is great but I feel like I owe them my best effort. It would be a big dis-service to give anything less than my best.

1 CORINTHIANS 9:26-27 (the message) "I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself. "

It's pretty cool to read how Eugene Peterson translates that passage that is quoted over and over again. To not give a 100% effort is such a cheaters way of living and, quite frankly, I hold myself to higher standard of living.

So far the Union Station team has raised just over $3,000 and here's what that does for the organization:
* Provide 20 hours of child care so parents can look for worko
* Provide 14 people with one week of meals (3 nutritious meals per day)
* Provide 5 people with a month of case management serviceso
* Provide 4 families with bedding and toiletries at our Family Center

Next Saturday evening the team is getting together for our carbo load dinner and I'm excited to meet some of the other runners I haven't met yet and here some of there stories.

Thanks for reading to the end of the note!! This is the last few days to give on the website so if you want to give please do so very soon ... TAKE CARE!