Poetry with feeling

I have been taking on more projects lately, believing that I have to make the most of what I have been given.

Recently, I joined a poetry challenge. I have to write a poem every day for 21 days. They say it will be published afterwards. We will see. When I was in the army, I wrote hundreds of poems in Afrikaans. Over the years, I have also written some in English, mainly Haiku. Writing poetry is an excellent way to express emotions. I find it has a deeply cathartic effect.

Adapting to the AI era

AI can write poems, but not very well I am afraid. However, it can code and many other things.

At my office, we have been working hard to upskill our staff to use AI. We apply it in development, testing, documenting, automating processes, and many other areas. It is invigorating to see what is possible. It is also a little scary.

Family pursuits

Our dog Heidi, a pomeranian, has suffered from autoimmune disease since birth. We give her medicine to lower her immune response. That helps with the disease, but causes other problems. We spend a lot of time treating various infections. I have just started another round of that. 

My son has his IGCSE Grade 10 board exams in South Africa in October. He could not take Afrikaans here, so we will spend over a month in Cape Town this year. I hope to go hiking in the mountains often with my son and daughter while we are there. I look forward to immersing myself in nature and bonding with my kids.

Losing and restoring the water balance

While caring for my family is a priority, I need to also take care of my own health.

The monsoon season is in full swing here and, for a runner, proper rehydration is crucial. I recently came across the idea of using milk for rehydration. In many ways it is better than store-bought sports drinks. It not only hydrates but also replenishes electrolytes and carbohydrates. It provides protein that helps repair muscles after strenuous exercise. It is also cheaper.

I am at the tail end of a Garmin Coaching plan for running a half marathon in 1 hour and 32 minutes. That was the fastest time available in the plan. My hope is to finish in under 1 hour and 30 minutes. That would not be a personal best, but it would bring me closer. I still wonder if I can reach a point where I run faster than I ever have.

We also have a Summer Fitness Challenge in our office. It will conclude with a celebration 5k run in early September.

Words and the Word

An even higher priority for me is to focus my whole life on knowing Him, my Friend who is always running with me. 

I am reading and listening through the Bible, following the Navigators Bible reading plan in YouVersion. This is very important to me. It reminds me that God is active and working in our lives. If we trust Him, He levels our paths and helps us when we act according to His will which we understand by reading His Word.

I am still learning Spanish. Reading and understanding are going well, but I need more practical speaking practice.

I also want to start singing again every day. I love singing gospel songs with guitar. I have written many songs to praise and glorify God.

Developing what we have been given

I have never been able to sit still and do nothing. There is a story in the Bible where Jesus tells about a king who gave money to three servants before going on a long trip. When he returned, he evaluated what they had done. Two worked with the money and multiplied it. One buried it in the ground.

We have all been given talents, opportunities, situations, and time by God. He expects us to use them for His glory. This is called stewardship. We must ask ourselves: Are we good stewards of what was entrusted to us?

Rest is also important, and over-commitment is never good, so we all need wisdom from God to show us what He wants us to be busy with. The one thing that unifies everything for me is this verse penned by the apostle Paul:  “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17 

Is there something that you know you should do, but haven’t gotten around to it? Maybe it is time to take the plunge.