4/26/2011

Wow. The kids today were all great. We started the day at St. Francis Childrens Hospital at ten in the morning. Last night J.C. rejoined me for the run and even though his plane arrived late last night we were up ready to give away books and spend time with some kids. The Hospital was very colorful and the food smelled pretty good. It was just the way a childrens hospital should be set up. We went room to room, floor to floor. The entire time I just thought to myself, “I hope the kids will enjoy my present”. Kids have a keen sense about things and I trust their judgement.

After spending an hour visiting with the kids at St. Francis, we headed over to Sandy Springs Children’s Home. Once again, I encountered facilities which were immaculate and wonderful...

4/25/2011

The only thing that stands in the way of success if fear. The only person holding you back from achieving your wildest dreams is yourself. I’ve discovered and learned much on this journey. But the most important lesson I’ve learned is about control. Quite often people want to control other people, and they want to control their surroundings. This leads to disappointment because the world is unpredictable. I’ve been disappointed many times because of things out of my control.

Today I took control. I controlled my thoughts. I controlled my actions. I put one foot in front of the other. My journey thus far has conditioned me to control my fears. There was a light sprinkle in Catoosa when I started my run but the blackened sky told me it wouldn’t stay calm for long...

4/24/2011

Flash floods. Thunderstorms. Pouring rain. I got it. I did eleven miles in a hurry today. I still got soaked. I didn’t even pull out the camera to take photos. I did discover that the frogs in Oklahoma croak pretty loudly. I guess that’s what happens when you are concerned with preserving your life. I was lucky to avoid the falling baseballs but we’ve still got a way to go and I’m still heading into the worst areas.

Joints ache
Point break
Adrenaline pumps
My heart thumps
Be great or be nothing at all
Stand tall
Run free
See all the possibilities
Excellence is in each of us
We reach it by action and imagination
It is in each step we take
In the choices we make
Wake up
Wake up!

This is a llama in Oklahoma