Glorious Mud

I have always loved physical, aggressive activities - skateboarding, skiing, hiking, poker...  In the last two years, my middle daughter has gotten me into parkour.  I am far from even being called,"Good" - but I do enjoy it. About three weeks ago, I busted my knee trying to do a kong vault in the gym after a couple months away.  I clipped my feet jumping over a 4 foot obstacle and was sent sprawling face first and full speed.  Thankfully it was a gymnastic floor - not padded, but springy and more forgiving than concrete.  Even so, it was a hard enough impact to cause immediate swelling and limited movement. Grrr. So, I have spent the last three week alternating compression and ice to reduce the swelling and give it time to heal.  The swelling is gone, and I am back to around 3/4 movement.  I hope to be back at it in another week...hopefully?  Anyway, in the mean time, here are a few videos of my having fun. First, a couple monkey vault...

So, I turned 41 today.  So here are 41 thoughts on this auspicious occasion (in no particular order). 1. I am a time traveler, but I can only go forward. 2. My children bring me more joy than anyone outside of my wife. 3. I wish I had gotten my masters in English instead of Education. 4. I love God.  I love the gospel.  I love his church.  I can't help it.  He loved me first. 5. The church is like a family.  Full of joy, promise, and dysfunction. 6. I miss California - especially the Pacific Ocean and the rugged beauty of the Pacific Northwest. 7. I am thankful for Emmaus Bible College, Tom Dean, the Plymouth Brethren, and the Journey. 8. The most revolutionary thing about The Journey isn't new or unique to The Journey: it is the gospel. 9. Jesus was my substitute in death so that I can be his brother in life. This one thing has made my life worth living. 10. I can be a jerk.  I can be selfish.  I can be anything that is bad be...