1. Oakland Raiders – W
   First, I never put up a L against the Raiders. Second, I think Denver is actually better.
2. Cincinnati – W
   This one could be very ugly…if you root for the Bengals.
3. @ Tennessee – W
   First road game and I think the Broncs carry their winning ways into this game. Will be a close one though.
4. @ Green Bay – L
   On the road against the defending Champs? Winning streak comes to a quick halt…but they learn something here.
5. San Diego – W
   I think the Broncs split the season with the Chargers and take the one at home.
6. BYE
7. @ Miami – W
   Just don’t think the Fins are any good and the Broncs are coming off a week of rest before having to make the East Coast trip.
8. Detroit – L
   I really want to put a “W” here, but something tells me this one gets away from them (and Detroit will be much improved this year).
9. @ Oakland – W
   May actually be a loss, but see game #1.
10. @ Kansas City – L
    We never seem to play well here…calling for yet another season split. However, I have a sneaking suspicion this one will be close.
11. NY Jets – L
    Offense won’t be able to do enough against this DEF.
12. @ San Diego – L
    Hard to win on the road against this team, and SD will be making their late year comeback by now.
13. @ Minnesota – W
    Not many will agree with me here, but I think the running game and DEF help sneak out a win on the road here. And I just don’t think MIN will be very good.
14. Chicago – W
    Cutler back home? Yummy! Von Doom should have fun with this offensive sieve line. ;o)
15. New England – L
    We typically play this team well at home, but can’t bring myself to put the “W” here.
16. @ Buffalo – W
    This team is B-A-D and will be in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. Really cold weather could be a factor…but I see us depending on the running game and pulling it out.
17. Kansas City – W
    I think we have something to play for here and will show up to get the season split.

So…my season prediction? A CRAZY 10-6. For the record, I said 8-8 last year (only missed it by 4 games!)…so my predictions mean nothing. But I truly think the Defense is looking good (great so far…but expecting some reality when the season starts). My biggest concern? Two really…injuries…and Orton (if there are close games here he will NOT win them for us).

Even if we end up 6-10 (which is more likely) I still think EFX have on the right road…and who knows…every year there’s that one team…maybe it’s us this year! Go DONKEYS!!

Early in his reign as king he starts to get his house in order. He takes care of the men who assassinated his father and then he starts assembling his army. But as the count comes in he finds that he’s a little shy of the numbers he was hoping for (he only has about 300,000 fighting). So he does the “prudent thing” and hires another 100,000 men to boost his numbers…and spends a no small sum of 7,500 pounds of silver to make it happen (about $4.5 million in today’s value).

It’s a good business plan. It made sense then and it makes sense now. We very often do the sound, business thing even today. We look at this plan and there’s nothing wrong with it. Except…

A man of God comes to King Amaziah and tells him:

Your majesty, do not hire troops from Israel, for the Lord is not with Israel. He will not help those people of Ephraim! If you let them go with you into battle, you will be defeated by the enemy no matter how well you fight. God will overthrow you, for he has the power to help you or to trip you up. (2 Chronicles 25:7-8, NLT)

And here’s the first lesson in the story…ask God before you act! If King Amaziah had asked God what to before he acted, God would have saved him some cold, hard cash. But the king did what he thought was right and it ends up costing him. Speaking of the cash…it’s the first thing on the king’s mind as he hears this advice from the prophet…so he asks the question we would ask…

Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about all the silver I paid to hire the army if Israel?” (2 Chronicles 25:9a, NLT)

That’s what I would have asked. It’s what any elder board would ask. Hey, I’ve already spent the money so what do we do about that? Should we waste it all or press on and hope God covers our mistake? Too often we press forward and expect God to follow our plan. King Amaziah certainly doesn’t want to just blow 7,500 pounds of silver…but here’s the answer…

The man of God replied, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this!” (2 Chronicles 25:8b, NLT)

And there’s the lesson for me…don’t worry about the cash. God has plenty of it and He doesn’t need me to tell Him how to manage it. I’m His steward. It’s my job to be obedient…even after I’ve been stupid. God will see us through…but only if we continue to follow His plan…not ours!

And King Amaziah does the smart thing. He walks away from the cash and the additional forces. And God comes through with flying colors…as He always does. Sometime the “prudent thing” isn’t a “God thing”. We need to ask God first and then follow the plan we get…no matter how insane it might seem to us. He’s God…we’re not…it works!

This week I pick it back up and end the week with a 16 mile run (another “longest run”). I look forward to this long run with a little apprehension given how my last long run (14 miles) ended. I really need a decent long run to get some of my confidence back and strike out some of the doubt lingering in my mind about finishing this marathon.

So my plan is to be more careful with my diet and hydration this week. We’ll see how that work out…still another 9 week of training after this one!

Week 7 Training Plan:

1. Monday: 2 miles @ 9:50 — Ran it this morning, took it nice and easy.
2. Wednesday: 5 mile tempo @ 8:18 pace for 3 miles
3. Saturday: 16 miles @ 9:50
4. Total = 23 Miles

Must improve my diet and am hoping life settles down a little and allows for some more cross-training, but not holding my breath. Onward & upward!

Here are the two pictures that Colin at Red Sky Tattoo was working from…and I asked him to add the phrase “With You Always” to the piece…

My Favorite Picture of Them Both

I got the recommendation to use Colin from the shop owner and I visited him a couple of weeks ago and set an appointment on the spot. When we showed up he took about an hour to do the stencil and once he showed it to me I was no longer concerned…it rocked! Here’s the stencil on the arm…

It's Big! Anita thinks too big, I think just right!

It took 2.5 hours of actual chair time to finish. I was in the shop a total of 5 hours, but that included the drawing time and breaks. Here it was after the first break…

Looking Good

There are three questions most people ask me about the tat the first time they see it. I’ve already answered two of them (where did you get it done and how long did it take). The first question is usually, “Did it hurt?” Answer: “YES!”

But the final result was SO worth it (added the photos so you can see the comparison “side by side”). It’s hard to get a good photo right now since it’s still healing, but you get the general idea…

Love It, Love It, Love It!!

The whole thing was a great experience and I absolutely L-O-V-E the tat. It was worth waiting to find the right person (and I highly recommend the entire crew at Red Sky Tattoo in Castle Rock). I miss both my brother and my sister-in-law very much, but they are always close to me now!

My diet hasn’t gotten too much better so I’m not sure why expect anything to go any better than it has. This week has been a recovery week and I’m finishing it off with a 5K…the one year anniversary from my first race last year. We’ve come a long way baby!

Last week’s training plan (week 5):

1. Monday: 2 miles @ 9:54 — Easy, Breezy
2. Wednesday: 4 mile tempo run (2 @ 8:21) — the start of the bad…had to stop 4 times on this run (can’t remember the last time I had to do that on a run this short)
3. Saturday: 14 miles @ 9:52 — U-G-L-Y…got dehydrated after running out of H2O at mile 12 and not properly preparing for this run in the heat. Must learn a lesson from this one!
4. Total = 20 Miles

This week’s training plan (week 6):

1. Monday: 4 miles @ 9:54 — Felt good, even though my muscles were sore.
2. Wednesday: 6 miles@ 9:54 — Ran this morning and it felt good! Hoping this is a positive sign for things to come.
3. Saturday: 5K race — TBD, but expecting to run a PR (in the 8:00 pace or better range)
4. Total = 13.1 Miles

Still no cross-training…who has the time?!?!?

Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God. (Romans 10:1-4, NLT)

I hate to admit it, but what Paul says here strikes a cord with me today. I may have the right level of enthusiasm for God, but am I directing it in the right direction? Am I refusing to do things God’s way because I want to do them my way? Am I clinging to my own way of doing things…including getting right with Him and walking with Him…or am I truly trying to do things God’s way?

Sometimes His way is the hard way. He doesn’t do things the way I want them done. He doesn’t do things when I want them done. Sometimes it’s not even about me–SHOCKING!!

At the same time, His way is so much easier. After all, Christ has already done the hard work…the part I couldn’t do myself. He has made me right with God. All I have to do is truly believe in Him. I’m going to work harder at letting go of “My Way” and embracing “God’s Way”…with His help of course! ;o)

What David says to Solomon rings as true and important for us as it did for his son…

“Learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve Him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek Him, you will find Him. But if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. So take this seriously.” (1 Chronicles 28:9-10, NLT)

There is so much here for us to learn from:

• Learn to know God intimately (not just surface knowledge or head knowledge)
• Worship and serve Him with everything you’ve got (hold nothing back)
• God sees and knows everything so don’t try and hide from Him (we try anyway)
• Seek Him and you’ll find Him, run from Him and He’ll let you go (hard lesson to learn this free will thing)

But the most important thing I took away from David’s speech to His son? One little phrase…

Take this seriously!

Too often I take my relationship with God for granted. I do stupid things with no regard for eternity or how God feels about it. Too often I fail to take my relationship with God seriously. But it’s serious business. It’s the most important thing in the world…

I know it’s cliche and even a little lame. But it’s also got a seed of truth in there somewhere.

This morning I was reading in the second chapter of Romans. Heavy book…lots of deep theological teaching. Yesterday I finished the first chapter of Romans…a chapter far too many Christians use as a battering ram for some of the most controversial social topics in our day (you can read it for yourself to figure out which topic(s) I’m referring to).

The problem is that too many of these “well meaning” Christ-followers (myself included at times) don’t continue reading on into chapter two. Instead they start using Romans 1 as a sledgehammer on someone else. So what does Romans 2 say?

Just this…

You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. (Romans 2:1, NLT)

Ouch…and oops! Consider me guilty as charged. I have no excuse. I’m in the same boat as everyone else…guilty of disobeying God and falling far short of His holiness. I mess up all the time. I think I’ve got life figured out and then I mess it all up. Thank goodness that Paul doesn’t stop with the lines above, but continues…

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that this kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? (Romans 2:4, NLT)

Thank goodness for God’s patience, kindness, and tolerance with me. I certainly need it. Maybe I’ll put down the sledgehammer and turn to Him a little more often.

I’ve noticed that my diet (which hasn’t been great lately) seriously affects my running..so I’ll be paying closer attention to that this week.

Here’s the training plan for this week:

1. Monday: 3 miles @ 9:54
2. Wednesday: 4 mile speed run (2 @ 7:51)
3. Saturday: 12 miles @ 9:54
4. Total = 19 Miles

Cross training has been absolutely zilch since I started my training…just finding it hard to fit anything more into the schedule. We’ll see how that goes moving forward.

Not even going to talk about weight loss right now (since it’s going in the wrong direction!!). Sigh…

That is until the Ark starts to fall of the cart and Uzzah reached out his hand to stabilize the Ark and make sure it didn’t fall off the cart (that would be bad). But God is not happy that Uzzah has touched the Ark (he wasn’t supposed to for any reason)…and God strikes him dead on the spot! OUCH!

And King David is obviously disturbed by this course of events…so he leaves the Ark right were it is and steps back for awhile. He’s scared…and he should be. That is, until he realizes the mistake he made…

“We failed to ask God how to move [the Ark] properly.” (1 Chronicles 15:13, NLT)

Oh how often I make that same mistake! I simply fail to ask God for His direction, for His help, for His guidance, for His plan. I assume I know best. I’m often wrong. I pay the consequences (thankfully nothing so bad as Uzzah had to pay).

Why? Because I failed to do one simple thing…I forget to ask God. So simple…