Checking mileage and goodness from the internet

what running and seminary have in common

I started running in late November. I don’t have high aims. I simply want to move more so I’m attempting to run one to two miles a few times a week. When I’m running two miles (hopefully with a friend) I try not to look at my watch for a while. I want to have gone close to a mile before I look at it. But at the end, I’m coaxing myself through the rest of the run. You’ve gone 1.73! You’ve done 1.76! You’re so close to the end! It’s at 1.85 now! All the way up until it hits 2 and I can start walking. 

That stage—where I’m marking off every single step as an accomplishment—is where I am with seminary. You’ve finished week 3! You did those twenty chapters of reading this week! There’s 142 days until graduation!¹ In the meantime, while I’m counting down, I’m resisting the urge to believe that finishing seminary will solve all my problems. That I’ll be rolling in free time and have so much less stress and be able to read all that I want to. There’s some old axiom that the work expands to the time you allow for it. There are things just waiting to crowd into the space that seminary takes up and I’m slowly resolving to keep some time for the things I want, such as writing more, reading intentionally, establishing a few slow rhythms. 

While I’m looking forward to being finished, I don’t want to rush it by. Weeks go by quickly and it’s my actual life. My kids’ actual lives. I want to live it while it’s here and enjoy it for what it is instead of waiting for seminary to finish, or this problem to wrap up. I preached this to myself all last week because it was a funky week and I’m always tempted to discount it and just wait for life to go back to “normal.” No, this is life; it’s not a dress rehearsal. What will I do with what I’ve been given today? 

Austin Kleon has 33 thoughts on reading. #30 might be sound wisdom. I have a note on my phone of books I have loaned to people.

John Mark Comer talks about being an apprentice to Jesus.²

I’ve been reading parts of this collection of MLK Jr.’s writing, speeches, and sermons for class. He’s a great writer and an even better thinker.

Read current books too.

This podcast episode was a great listen.

Made this for friends last week. Have I linked to it before? Yes, I have. Did you make it? Don’t know.

We started watching Psych again.

Share your favorite links in the comments!

1. As of last Friday!

2. Taking a moment to note how much I love his new material at Practicing the Way. What I have seen/used has been wonderful.