"That's not a problem to solve

but a tension to manage."  I recently listened to Andy Stanley on a leadership podcast talk about this idea.   He claims a healthy dose of tension, for organizations, is ok.   He stated the usual knee jerk reaction is to work to solve the problem or resolve the tension.  He claims some tension is healthy to help hold things together.  He believes great organizations realize some tension should be managed.

...and to know His love that surpasses

knowledge.  I stated this over and over this morning while running.  Perhaps its not about knowing the way to live, but learning to love while we live.  Love trumps knowledge.  More effort should be put into loving instead of trying to understand.  I often find myself trying to improve my capacity to understand or know know than I try to improve my capacity to love.  Yet, it seems that seeing situations and people from a renewed perspective (knowledge) can make it easier to love.   Perhaps love is what allows us to see situations and people from a renewed perspective.

That was the second coyote

I saw while running.  The first sighting was much more significant and exhilarating.  It was four days after my Dad's funeral and the day I discovered my wife was pregnant.  I couldn't sleep trying to learn to deal with the passing of my Dad.  God and I were having a great moment together while running on this beautiful morning.  The sun was coming up, the clouds caused a glow that was just right.  It was about 5:30 AM and I was running southeast.   I was able to concentrate on how great God is and I felt like I could hear Him providing me clarity.  I was telling Him how I missed Dad and about the sadness I felt and then...there was the coyote.  He ran about 40 feet in front of me.  WOW!  I had never seen one before.  This was up close and personal!  Dad and I used to love to discuss the wildlife I would see while running.  That was a great day!

Had I not been willing to dress properly

I would not have gone for my run and I would have missed seeing the coyote.  I have learned that I can run in all conditions (except lighting), if I dress properly, which then enables me to be amazed by God's power demonstrated through his creation.  It reminds me to dress properly spiritually so that I don't miss God's guidance and experience His power through the day.  While running I like to envision putting on the belt of truth, the breastplate or righteousness, having my feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, taking up the shield of faith, putting on the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God to make sure I don't take on the day unprepared.

How cold is too cold

to run outside?  Lately, it has been around 13 degrees when I run outside.  I don't think it's bad at all as long as I dress accordingly and wear a mask.  Actually, it is beautiful outside when it is cold because ice crystals form on everything.  The other day I watched a coyote run about 600 yards through a field...in the opposite direction as me.  Either he was cold, hungry or trying to get a good cardio workout in.  I would have missed that had I let the cold air keep me inside.  I guess the key to feeling good running in the cold is dressing appropriately.

My next memory verse goal:

Ephesians 3:16-19 (New International Version, ©2010)

¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

I had a great spiritual workout this morning

while running.  Lately, I have been having a difficult time focusing the way I would like.  The following approach helped a ton.  For the first 1.5 miles, I started my prayers with you are the God who...then I filled in the blanks with phrases like: created the galaxies, the sun, the snow, the cold, the trees, helped men run in a fiery furnace, brought dead people back to life, made a donkey talk and an axe head float, etc.  Then, the last 3 miles I started my prayers with you are my God who...then I filled in the blanks with all the ways God has helped me and my family personally.