+FillUs

As soon as I crossed the finish line, I was ready for another marathon. It wasn’t because I just had the best marathon in my life or I just qualified for Boston. Quite contrarily, I just limped four very painful miles to the finish, failed to break four hours, one of the two goals of this marathon. The other goal? Crushed as well. I wanted to remain injury free. From the very start, I followed the 4:00 pace group faithfully until the pacer had to take a bathroom break. So I continued on my own, checking my garmin from time to time to make sure I stick to a pace between 8:45 and 9:00 min./mile. Discomfort started kicking in at about mile 13, but it soon built up to pain. I knew I was in trouble but I couldn’t tell much beyond that. Somewhere between mile 16-18, I realized my running form changed due to tensed muscles from pain. One step at a time; one foot before the other. That brought me to mile 19. And Mile 20. Earlier during the run, a gentleman wisely said, “Mile 20 is half the rac...

One Day Wages has provided the birthday campaign idea and I have started a page on its website: Phyllis’ Birthday for a Cause. The story: I need not to repeat the global statistics on poverty and the dire needs around the world. We have all heard and seen enough to compel us to do something. For those of us who are Christians, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27). The mandate is plain and simple, but easier said than done. A couple days before this year’s birthday, I got this daily verse in an email: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Even though salvation cannot be gained, but our walk of life reveals our faith and our inner reality. Looking at my bank account, I question where my true treasure is found. Everyday we are faced with different choices, like where and how to spend our money? When Moses came be...