Kingdom Hearts

I don’t know if there is a more challenging test to one’s physical endurance or mental strength than an Ironman race, also known as the triathlon.  This is a 3-event race that takes the better part of an entire day to complete.  The three events include a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bicycle ride, and is capped off with a marathon (26 mile run).  You can read more about the triathlon here.

Kevin Schaefer, as most of you know, has been one of my closest friends since 2nd grade.  Through the years, we have remained very close despite going our separate ways for college and me not living in Victoria anymore.  He has always been nothing short of my brother.  My mom and his mom claim each of us as their very own, practically.  I write this on his behalf and with his permission.  I am sure that many of you reading this either know Kevin personally or have met him through me. 
 
Anyway, on this coming Sunday, August 30th, Kevin will be participating in an Ironman race in Louisville, KY.  He has been training intensely for this for about 18 months.  I remember him talking about it when we were kids.  He has ALWAYS wanted to do this.  I saw him the weekend of our 20 year class reunion and he looks fantastic, of course.  Even when comparing to our days in the army, he is undoubtedly in the best shape of his life and it shows.  Again the race is this coming Sunday, August 30th and he will have 17 hours (7 AM til 12 midnight) to complete it.  I am so proud of him and will spend a great portion of my Sunday deep in prayer on his behalf.  He is pumped but a bit nervous, obviously and understandably.  After speaking with him tonight, perhaps humbled is a better word.  If you would, I hope you will say a prayer for him please.  I am posting this first and foremost because I am hopeful that our prayers will help give him strength and encouragment. 
 
Second, below I am including a message from him about the cause for which he is running this race.   Kevin does not want anyone to feel pressured, but if you could just give a little bit for his cause, I know he would be extremely grateful to you.  All he is seeking to raise is two thousand dollars and hopefully with enough friends and family giving a small amount, he will accomplish this goal. 
 
You can see more information on what Kevin is trying to raise money for by clicking on this link.
 
Either way, he will be the first to tell you, he wants your prayers more than anything.  But the cause he is supporting is ALS.  There was a young boy with ALS (he has since passed) whose father did a triathlon and carried his son with him the whole way.  Perhaps you have heard the story about Dick and Rick Hoyt.  It is very inspiring.  You may also remember me putting a couple of  videos about it on my blog several months back.  You can see them here.  Anyway, this story, from what I understand,  is at least in part what inspired Kevin to finally chase his dream and do this.  His wife Angela and his 2 kids (Bryan and Andrea) have been fully supportive of him, although she has had to sacrifice immensely to allow Kevin to train so intensively these past eighteen months.

Here is a note from Kevin:

Hi Friends & Family,

As most of you know, I have my first Ironman race coming up on August 30th. I have an important announcement regarding the last few weeks of training and then my race.

I am raising 1) awareness and 2) money for a very important cause. I am asking you to help by granting me a few minutes for awareness of the issue. After that, I am asking you to help by making a contribution. Please use the link below to see brief but important information about the cause. Then if you so desire, you can donate online quickly & securely. You will receive email confirmation of your donation and I will be notified as soon as you make your donation. Thank you in advance for your support.

http://www.active.com/donate/teamblazeman/kabacrew

We are reminded in Scripture as to how much damage we can do with our tongues (James 3:5-8).  I know I have done my share of using my tongue as a weapon to hurt people, intentionally as well as unintentionally.  Here is what I find interesting though.  For the most part, with regard to using words that our culture deems as “bad words,” we get it.  We try our best not to use those words because that is “cussing” and that is a sin.

But am I off base when I say that “cussing” is really not confined to using “cuss words?”  What about speaking evil of a brother or a neighbor?  What about gossip?  What about lying?  These may not be what we normally think of as cursing, but they are certainly examples of damage we can do with our tongues.  In fact, it is amazing to me how one can gossip or be less than honest in a story he tells, then turn right around and say “but I don’t cuss,” as if that is all that really matters.

Another example of how we can hurt others with our tongues is by simply failing to think before we speak.  A lot of times, even in our zeal and desire to do a good thing we can hurt others’ feelings.  Part of our charge as God’s people to be loving, compassionate, tender-hearted, and kind, is to think carefully about what we say to others and how we come across.  The point of all of this is that the tongue is actually one of the most powerful tools we have in our efforts to influence others for good and build one another up.  This alone warrants the need to choose carefully how we use our words.

The good news is that the tongue can be used for much more than negative.  In this same context of James 3, James reminds us that our tongues can be just as much a blessing (vv.9-10).  Paul reminds us that our speech is to “always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Colossians 4:6).  In like manner, to the Ephesians, he also attests, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29).

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of this is to excercise such wisdom and grace when the opposite is demonstrated toward us.  Perhaps the real challenge is to use our tongues as a blessing when we perceive that we have been cursed with someone else’s tongue. 

Thank God that the actions of His Son serves as a blessing to those who cursed Him.

Have a wonderful weekend!