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A MN Police Chief forwarded to me an article from LawOfficer.com. Click here to read the article I enjoyed the article. I also enjoy when others pass on stories that they find interesting, especially when they relate to spiritual fitness in the profession. So Enjoy and Take Care! I know I’ve been reserving Thursdays for a spiritual fitness exercise, but today I want to share something I’ve learned this past week. I had heard of CaringBridge but never utilized it before this past week. Through my seminary studies and pastoral assistant duties at Faith Lutheran in Waconia, pastoral care is an aspect of ministry that I am now experiencing. As the website says, CaringBridge is a great way to share and learn information about friends, family and loved ones “during critical illness, treatment and recovery“. It is a very valuable and efficient site to find out information that is beneficial for prayer requests, family needs, visit planning etc. It also enables those who cannot be present a way to connect with the patients and their families. The website is located at www.caringbridge.org or you can click here It is a website where you can limit access to certain people or you can give it open access. I thought I’d share a message written by a dad (on a open access site and with names removed) that is wonderful expression of a parent’s love. This is an example of the potential blessings that can result from this technology.
Take Care I ran across this weblog this morning and thought you might enjoy it. It is by US Army Chaplain (Captain) Keith Andrews. (Click here to visit his website).
Sometimes people get so busy they can’t keep up with themselves. Kind of like the time my brother was playing softball, rounding third , when his feet didn’t keep up with his body……..and well……you know……crash! Well I haven’t crashed but my postings kind of did for the past couple of weeks. There has been a lot going on, my life has been cruising ahead, but my writing hasn’t quite kept up. The last time I wrote I was headed off to the races. It was a great time. Hanging out with the old sled dog gang, spending the day outside, I even got to race! Third place! Not bad for being significantly out of shape but the dogs did well. You can check out the race details and stories HERE.
Since the race, I also hit the one year anniversary of my retirement and I spent the last week at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) as part of my seminary studies. It was 40 degrees and lots of cold rain. I know, warmer than the 30 below it was here back home but it wasn’t 70 and a sunny day at the beach either. I had two great classes: Preaching I and a workshop on Evangelism. I was amazed at the limited perspective I had on the two topics. I had a lot of biases and preconceptions about what the words meant. The classes, like much of what I learn in my studies, gave me a lot to think about and some great tools to use as this ministry evolves. Then there was today. Today I started a new job. I put on a good shirt, nice pants, my better shoes (but not my best) and headed off to Faith Lutheran Church in Waconia. I will be working there as a Pastoral Assistant, part time, 10 hours a week. This learning experience, working in a congregational setting, is part of the process of getting ordained, which will hopefully happen in the next couple of years if all goes well. My thanks go out to the staff at Faith: Dale, Jason, Mike, Jean, Kallie, Mary and Dennis for making me feel so welcome today! Take Care My first experience with sled dog sports started about 10 years ago as a spectator. My niece was was racing a three dog junior circuit. A couple of years later I skijored in my first recreational race and things grew from there. If you follow my posts at all you know that the “City Carlsons” (not to be confused with the “Country Carlsons”, my brother’s family) race experiences peaked with Pete competing in Alaska and the Yukon World Skijor Championships in 2005. Since then my daughters have been competing off and on, but bad snow conditions these past few years limited their opportunities. At this point we have a four dog kennel of experienced but aging sled dogs. (Bear with me here, there is a spiritual fitness message coming) The girls are busy with other school activities, Pete moved to Alaska, so that leaves 50 year old (yes, I just hit the big one) dad to carry on the tradition. This has been the best local “snow season” we have had in years. The dogs and I have been training for the past 5-6 weeks and we have our first race this weekend in Frazee, MN at the “Third Crossing Sled Dog Rendezvous“. Click HERE to see the race starting order, yup, that’s me, first out, with my older brother Tom next out. I’m looking forward to getting back into it. This last year has been very interesting to say the least. You will be hearing many reflections this coming year about my first year of retirement. One of the things that I hoped would happened, but didn’t, was that I would get back in shape, lose a few pounds and make recreational exercise part of my life again. But these past several weeks have really rejuvenated me physically and spiritually. Spending time outside, training the dogs, grooming the trails, skiing, sledding, has been great for the body mind and soul. And the fellowship and socializing at the races does wonders for the soul too. So here is your lesson, one that is not new, not complicated, but very hard to accomplish (I know). If you want to be fit, physically, intellectually or spiritually, you need to make exercise a way of life, not just a program that starts and stops. A lifestyle of healthy activity and exercise is the key to fitness. Don’t go on a diet, but develop a healthy diet of positive exercise and recreation. I’ve got to get going, I’m meeting an old (but younger than me) coworker for lunch today. I’m looking forward to the fellowship and catching up. I’ll update you on the race as the weekend evolves. Take Care. |
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Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association
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Hennepin County Chiefs of Police Association
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
