The Biking Viking

When I saw that the American Heart Association was having a September 100-mile bike challenge to raise funds for heart research I smiled and said, "Perfect."

God is always amazing but sometimes He is so obviously amazing that I just have to smile.

I have a young friend named Kortney who is, right now, in Madison undergoing five days of testing so that she can get on the national organ wait list. She needs two new lungs and a new heart.

My old 10-speed from college has been on MY "wait list," hanging in my garage, unused, for years. But now it is being used to complete 100 miles in September to fight for my friend.

I have noticed something as I bike around our neighborhood. I am becoming more fit. Strange. At first I was huffin' and puffin' up the smallest of hills. Now, it's like those 'hills' are no longer an obstacle.

Another thing I have noticed is that I am becoming more spiritually fit as well. I am praying more. At first I started praying for just Kortney as I rode, but that has expanded. Now, as I pass neighbor's houses, I pray for them as well. Brenda and Ross, Deb and Steve, Mike and Debbie, Kyle and Brianna, Tammy, Rick and Julie, even the ownets of that stinkin' yippy little dog that barks at me EVERY TIME I go by.

l might recite scripture or sing a worship or VBS song as I ride. My biking has turned into a time of worship. That's a good thing.

Oh, 'The Biking Viking' title for today's story. I graduated from New Berlin High School - the New Berlin Vikings. They had a biking club there led by one of the teachers - Mr. Reinhold. He was a nerdy chemistry teacher, but he LOVED to bike so they called him The Biking Viking.

Well, this nerdy Viking is getting to love biking as well. Why? Because it's good exercise, it's good prayer time, and it's also a good reminder of what's important - God and others.

"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself." - Mark 12:30-31

[The picture for today's blog was generated by Meta's AI]

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