Half Marathon Training week 2

This week was a real challenge for training but I saw some real breakthroughs. The family had the flu pretty bad last week and it threw me off big time in the middle of the week. Sleep deprivation isn't good for training. Needless to say I got my mileage in this week.

Sunday:
I ran 2.5 miles and worked out the soreness from the previous days run. Sunday is slated for recovery from my big run and I am starting to realize the benefits of it. My legs were pretty sore the rest of the day though.

Monday:
Cross trained by doing my P90X workout of Back and Shoulders. Basically push ups and pulls ups on steroids. Felt good to do it though.

Tuesday:
Flu hit big time. Went for 2 mile run but had to walk most of it so I wouldn't soil myself. Felt like crud amd was hurting from previous day workout.

Wednesday:
No Workout. Sick

Thursday:
Feeling much better. Went for a run and was really sore at first but worked into it and ran almost all of the 2.5 mile run for the day. Really saw the energy level increase today.

Friday:
Supposed to be Bicycle cross training day but kids were still sick so I watched them while Jen went to Women's ministry. Did a two mile walk and then played basketball at the park with Caleb. Noticed incredible amounts of energy all day

Saturday:
Long run day. Ran most of the 3.25 miles that I did. Felt great! Really seeing the increased energy and endurance levels raise. Pretty shot afterwards. Looking forward to nap this afternoon.

Weekly Totals:
10.25 miles of running
2 days of cross training

Missionay Update: Pottengers

  POTTENGER FAMILY NEWS – ISSUE 9
 JANUARY
Praise the Lord!
-For safe travels to Kenya and that
all our luggage made it!
-For helping us through this first
transition, and helping us settle!
-For providing a special lady (Joyce)
to help with Kenya Grace while we
are in school!
Please Pray For…
-Alert minds to absorb and retain
the language.
-The logistical items that need to be
attended to due to moving here.
-That we keep our eyes on the Lord
and not ourselves or circumstances.
“…I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.”
  1 Corinthians 9: 22
Tunajifunza Kiswahili
(We are learning Kiswahili) Here we are with some of our
classmates, teachers, school staff & house help
 As we write this newsletter for January we will
be completing our second week of language school here in
Limuru, Kenya.  We are very impressed with the school, our
teachers, and the style of teaching. We can already give a
lengthy introduction about ourselves; have learned our numbers
and days of the week, as well as lots of vocabulary and
greetings. One of our teachers Peter is a local pastor here. In
addition to being encouraged in our progress in school, he has
encouraged our heart in the ministry as he shares a similar
vision. He has told us we have the heart of Kenyans and seems
excited about what the Lord is calling us to. It is exciting to hear
him talk about teaching the Word of God to his flock and then
addressing cultural things according to the Bible. An example
he shared was teaching about marriage and God’s design to
serve one another. Here in Kenya when a couple walks, the man
walks ahead of the woman and she walks a distance back. They
still converse but from a distance. In church men sit on one side
and women sit on the other. You will often see a woman
carrying a child on her back, on her front and things on her
head while the man walks beside her with nothing in hand.
Peter was encouraging the men to walk with their wives, to sit
with them and to even serve them by carrying things for them. 
It was so wonderful to hear that men were understanding and
actually making changes. It was also so encouraging to hear
that it was the Kenyans who have kept the school open and
running. There was a time it was located at a Baptist
Conference Center nearby and when the center said they were
closing school, the Kenyans said, we need to keep this going
and they have. They truly see the value of learning language
and culture and have seen the fruit for God’s Kingdom.
FAMILY NEWS
 We first want to praise the Lord that as we
write this we are all still healthy, have adjusted to the time and
the homesickness is mostly gone!  It feels so wonderful to be
settled in our new house and unpacked! Kenya Grace has her
own room and is doing so well at night! She and her new sitter
Joyce are doing well together. It has been an adjustment for her
not having mommy and daddy around and realizing that this is a
regular thing, but Joyce is very good with Kenya Grace and we
can hear them through the walls laughing, and playing. Joyce and
KG come join us for our morning Chai break and then KG looks
for frogs with a man named Patrick who takes care of the yard
and maintenance. We then reunite for lunch and Peg then stays
with KG for the rest of the day. Kenya Grace wants you to know
that the banana’s here are really good and they are her favorite. 
U.S. Mail Address: 5410 W. Pinehurst Dr. Banning, CA 92220 Kenyan Mail Address: P.O.Box 52-00217, Limuru, Kenya, Africa
Email: botts2potts@gmail.com Phone #: (805) 876-3239   Website: www.thep3inkisumu.blogspot.com
IN KENYA

The Snuggie is here to stay

Have you seen this commercial? It is the Snuggie. When Jen and I first saw it we laughed at how cheesy it was. It reminded me of the Chia Pet commercials. Well it has become a phenomenon. USA Today has an article about it. Like it or not it is here to stay.

Frank McCourt is on Drugs!

I have been considering taking my oldest son Caleb to Spring Training in Arizona this year because the LA Dodgers just moved training camps from Vero Beach, Florida to Chandler, Arizona. So I started doing some research and found out that the NCAA will be holding the Sweet Sixteen during the same time so I could kill two birds with one stone by watchin my Bruins in the Sweet Sixteen and then catching a couple Dodger spring training games. That was until I checked prices for tickets. It is the same price as going to a game in LA.

For those of you who don't know spring training is a laid back atmosphere where you can get close to the players and have a lot of fun. The games aren't serious and most players only play three to four innings max. The stadiums are one quarter the size as regular stadiums and most games are played during the game. It was such a great deal because you could see three to four games over a weekend for a really good price. Well no more. Frank McScrooge, the owner of the LA Dodgers, thinks the games are worth the same as regualr season games. The cost for a ticket to sit on grass called the Burm is $8. Cost for a bleacher seat at Dodger Stadium is $11. Ticket prices closer to home plate where you actually got a seat were $20 and up. That is ridiculous and it won't be any time soon before I give them my money there or in LA. I am seriously thinking of becoming an Angel fan. At least the stadium is safer.

I Will Go Before You

I really believe that Isaiah 45 is the Word for Today's Church. If we will heed what it says I believe that God will do what His Word says.

Isaiah 45:2 I will go before you And make the crooked places straight;  I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron.  3 I will give you the treasures of darkness  And hidden riches of secret places,  That you may know that I, the LORD,  Who call you by your name,   Am the God of Israel.

God will go before us making the rough patches smooth and open doors that are shut all that we may know that He is God. The Key here is that He will go before us

vs. 5-6 I am the LORD, and there is no other;  There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me,  6 That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting  That there is none besides Me.  I am the LORD, and there is no other;

We must recognize that He is the only God. There are no other paths to Him except through His Son Jesus Christ.

Vs. 9 “ Woe to him who strives with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth!  Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ Or shall your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands’?

We must submit to Him. We aren't to quarrel with God by questioning His work. He is in charge and in control.

Vs. 22-23 “ Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.  23 I have sworn by Myself;  The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow,  Every tongue shall take an oath

We must look to Him for your Salvation. This Salvation is spiritual and also physical. If we are in a hole cry out to God for only He can save you. In these times we must look in the right place for our solution.

Vs. 24-25 Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and strength.  To Him men shall come,  And all shall be ashamed  Who are incensed against Him.  25 In the LORD all the descendants of Israel  Shall be justified, and shall glory.’”

We must Trust in Him. While the world attacks and mocks God we must find shelter and wait for Him to Glorify Himself. In Him is all righteousness and strength so wait on Him to give it. Don't be impatient but reside in Him.

God is willing to go before us. If we believe that we must recognize that He is God by worshiping Him, We must submit to His leadership, We must look to him for our help, and then finally we must Trust Him to fulfill what He has said.

Weekly Schedule

Lately I have been asked what my week is like by several people. My work week goes Sunday through Thursday with Friday being my day off. I will try to give you a glimpse of what goes on in a typical week:

Sunday
- Church Services
Monday
- Staff Prayer
- Study for Sunday Message
- Leadership Development
Tuesday
- Return phone calls & email
- Admin & Financial stuff
- Staff Mtg
- Lunch Apt
- Meetings with church people
- Counseling
Wednesday
- Study for Sunday Message
Thursday
- Admin Mtg
- Wrap up Sunday stuff
- Meet with Church People
- Weekly Review

Now remember this is about as general as it can get but gives you a brief look into my work week. Eventually I will post how I go about my studying for Sunday and Leadership Development. If you are wanting to meet with me the best days are Tuesday & Thursday. There is little chance that I will have time on Mondays and Wednesdays. Friday is my day off which is reserved for family time and Saturday is time for message review and resting for Sunday.

Is It In the Worship Style?

Christianity Today puts our a Pastors Journal called Leadership. It is a quarterly review of what is working in the church. The last couple of issues have been sent to me and I have to comment. The first one that came to me was called Missional Church. This is a new term that has come out of the Emergent Church as and answer to the Seeker Sensitive Church. It is almost funny how these people are falling over each other to define what type of church they are doing.

For the common church goer it doesn't really matter but as a Pastor and leader of a church you have to answer and address these issues from time to time. Let me start with definitions of these types of churches:

• Missional Churches feel called to minister to the community by taking the church to the people instead of getting the people to come to them
• Emergent Churches are experiential churches that emphasize participation over spectating so they use dark rooms, candles, and prayer labryinths to get people involved.
• Attractional Churches (Seeker Sensitive, think Rick Warren) put on high caliber productions through music and drama to draw people in.

I have generalized these movements but it pretty much gives you a basic picture of what goes on. The thing I want you to notice is that none of these models emphasize the Word of God yet this is what people are hungry for. Willow Creek Association, a big Seeker Sensitive group of churches, just came out with a study showing the people want to be taught the Bible. Just recently another study came out saying 18-24 year olds want to know what the Bible says. If this is what people want why aren't churches giving it to them?

Calvary Chapels have emphasized the Word of God from the start. Chuck Smith used to teach through 10 chapters of the Bible on a Sunday Night. The places was packed and people were sitting on the floor. I believe that if churches would make teaching the Word of God central and do it in a way that relates to people their churches would be packed. Worship styles come and go but the Word remain the same.

A Time to Lay Low

1 Peter 4:15 But let none of you suffer… as a busybody in other people's matters

The word busybody means troublemaker or agitator. John MacArthur suggests that Christians who get too involved in politics fall under the premise of a busybody. As I mentioned on Sunday I think it is time that Christians lay low in the Political realm. This something God really impressed upon my heart this week. I think we are in a period where we need to lay low and allow God to do his work. One of the things that confirmed this in me were the number of emails and notices that I received on how many policies President Obama reversed that are near and dear to Christians. The church has little influence in political matters and honestly I think that is the way God wants it. This is a change in tactics for our church. We were very involved in Prop 8. We feel very passionate about this issue, but I feel we must heed God's leading and that is to Lay Low.

1 Thess 4:11 says; aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands. Paul is telling us to be peaceful and go about the work of the Kingdom of God. The tendency of many Christians is to get overheated by the politics of today and forget the mission God put us on. We are no longer a Christian nation. We have abandoned our roots and we will eventually pay the price for it. So as Christians let's step back and refocus our energies on Kingdom work. What is Kingdom work? First it is a commitment to the church. This is the entity that God has established for His work to be done. Too many people think they can get enough God without church. The result from that is Spiritual shallowness. Through the church you get the teaching of God's Word, the Fellowship of God's people, and the outreach to those in need.

The coming months and years are going to be tough on the church. Our tenets of faith will be attacked and mocked. Do we fight back or do we lay low and let God take care of it? Let's lead quiet lives, minding the business of the Kingdom of God, and be hard workers. This will accomplish the mission God has called us to and solidfy our character.

Fuzzy Math?

Here is an article about the count of people at the inauguration:(Make sure you read to the very bottom!)

Obama's Million Ghost March

By Mithridate Ombud (Bio | Archive)
January 22, 2009 – 02:55 ET

• 
• 

I
doubt it would surprise anyone here that the media would go to their
best lengths to over-estimate the number of people at Obama's
inauguration. But just how far? Try a million people.

ASU journalism professor Stephen Doig
took it to the satellite image to get an accurate count of the crowd.
His tally, after even accounting for those still in route to the event:
800,000. Now let's look at how the working Obamalists portrayed that to
the public.

Baltimore Sun: "Inaugural crowd is estimated at close to 2 million"

Boston Globe:
" The National Park Service says it will rely on a media report that
says 1.8 million people attended President Obama's inauguration."

MSNBC: "Oh, and some guy named Barack Obama. Along with millions
of regular folk, celebrities swarmed to DC to celebrate the
Inauguration." (from the same page: "Could Inauguration Crowd Reach 4
Million?")

LA Times:
"Crowds surged in previously unseen numbers today for the presidential
inauguration of Barack Obama, making it seem increasingly likely that
the gathering would reach the record-setting mark of 2 million."

Here's where it gets good.

Washington Post:
"the official estimate released by the District yesterday is 1.8
million, a figure that would make the gathering the largest ever on the
Mall."

Backstory on that "official estimate released by the District" that the Washington Post is writing about.

AP: "Park service spokesman David Barna said the agency did not conduct its own count. Instead, it will use a Washington Post account that said 1.8 million people gathered on the U.S. Capitol grounds, National Mall and parade route, he said."

And that is especially interesting because if you follow the jump on the Washington Post story you'll find this nugget of info: "The Washington Post's analysis of the image concluded that about 1 million people
were on the Mall." And the first page of the article mentions the
parade route "was supposed to accommodate 300,000 people at its
height". Fuzzy math, a journalist staple.

The Power of Facebook

If anyone doubts the power of Facebook then look at my last week schedule and see.

• Friday Jan 16th Talk on Phone with Best Friend from High School who I haven't had contact with for 20 years
• Tuesday Jan 20th Talk on phone with Best Man of my wedding who I had lost info on and hadn't talked to in 4 years
• Thursday Jan 22nd Have two meetings with missionaries from who I had set up with on Facebook
• Over the last 10 days I have added four new friends, joined several interest groups, and made multiple comments on friends and family members walls.

That doesn't include several emails, comments, and suggestions that I have received. Facebook is a good thing because I am in contact with people I would've never taken the time to search out and find. Beats watching reruns of anything on TV.