I’m not sure what we were thinking, but Mark, the super fast, built for running type guy, who’s been running with me almost every Saturday for the last 5 weeks, and I started our 13 mile run on Saturday afternoon.  Earlier on we had tackled an excellent team service project at the Community Harvest Farm in North Grafton, then we decided to meet up again for what would be the longest either of us had ever run, even Mark, the super fast, built for running type guy.

Carie crushed the course, the morning before, and now it was our turn.  And I couldn’t have been more prepared and more scared of anything, including the time I rode the highest, fastest roller coaster in the world at the time at Cedar Point – The Magnum XL 200.  I’m not in the 8th grade anymore, but this was even more terrifying.  What if I couldn’t do it?

So we met at 4:30 pm, and started what we now know as the descent  up to our halfway point.  For that reason, the first half was really easy.  The whole thing was basically downhill, something we might have researched first.  So for 6.5 miles, I thought, we can really do this.  We wooped that run like David jacked up that dang giant with 5 smooth stones and a trumpet.  Then running back it started to get a bit harder.  It didn’t seem uphill, yet my legs were getting tired and when we eventually did get to a part that seemed uphill, I found myself ready to give up.

When I stopped running to take a break, I looked at our gps reading, and we had hit 11.11 miles, and it seemed like 2 more miles would never come.  I felt nauseous.  I felt weak.  I begged for Mark, the super fast, built for running type guy, to go on ahead so he wouldn’t have to wait for me.  He wouldn’t.  He was being challenged too.  The last two miles were so fierce.  Mostly uphill.  All tired.  And to make matters worse, we passed my house at 11.6 miles.  Couldn’t we just stop a bit early?

Finally we arrived at the 13.11 mile mark, and the run was over.  I had nothing left.  No legs.  No breath. Mark, the formerly super fast, built for running type guy and I walked quietly to our cars, looked at each other with faint glances of satisfaction, and went our separate ways.

I drove to my house and sat in my car for a few minutes.  I couldn’t really move and Carie was visiting some family, so sitting in the car just seemed appropriate for the occasion where one can no longer move.  I called Carie, told her I finished, and unfortunately, she was on the other end of what happened next.  I lost it.  For no reason that I know of, and just because I felt like it, or maybe it was because I had nothing left in me…

I just cried into the phone for the next 10 minutes.

This weekend I have to run 13 miles.

I’m not looking forward to it, but I now have an example to help quench my fear.  This morning my wife Carie ran that distance, and I’m pretty proud of her.  We’ve only been running for 5 weeks consistently (4 times a week), and now we’re ultimately training for a half marathon in October.  At first we considered a full marathon, then pulled back for this season.  But we’ve managed to stay on the training schedule for the marathon up to this point.

Because of scheduling conflicts, our training is one day apart, so Carie runs the training schedule one day before me most of the time, and I don’t mind telling you how scared I have been about my 13 mile adventures this weekend.  But Carie showed me it could happen, gave it her all, and finished the 13 miles.  Well, actually because her mom, who ran with her, took a wrong turn, she ran 14 miles, but I’m not doing that – on accident or on purpose.

Don Miller says that “A character in a story is a person who wants something and overcomes an obstacle to get it.”  I want to finish this half marathon, and I want to beat a few people along the way, and before today, I had a hard time believing that was possible.

Great examples and heroes are people who exemplify, not only how to live life, but the dreams which we already have in our hearts.  Running a half marathon may not make a big difference in the world, but it will make a big difference in me, which I believe will push me to make a big difference in the world.

Thanks Carie!

This week  in my life is a perfect example of an amazing Easter week!

It started off strong with high hopes because Carie and I received some amazing financial news, and then some more, and then some more.  I felt a bit like Warren Buffet, or at least the China Buffet.  Things were good.  Then the bottom dropped out.  Not so much in finances or even amongst people, but about rain.  For days it has poured and poured and poured here in the Northeast.  Flooding is occurring and I thought I’d have to take a boat the 200 or so feet it takes me to get to work.  Facebook statuses complain of flooding basements, wet dogs, and dark days creating dark moods.

In the midst of the darkness, our Fellowship lead team gathered together in a room on Wednesday evening and talked about what we were going to do this Sunday.  Most of us talked of our service, some of us talked about fishing.  We laughed, we thought, we even sang a bit.  And we wondered.  Wondered if our Easter plans that are as different as they can be from every other Easter service we’ve done is going to work.  Just like His disciples during those dark nights we wondered and we questioned (not His presence, but our ideas).

But Sunday is a-coming and with it comes sunny days, beautiful weather, uplifted moods, and a time for followers everywhere to come together and pronounce that Jesus is indeed risen, and he lives forevermore!

I’ll be celebrating at Fellowship!  Where will you be?

A shameless attempt at capturing your attention.  This post is about relationships, not P.B., though I do mention it.

Occasionally things go unchecked…specifically in the form of relationships.  Stuff gets busy and next thing you know, those you love and care about the most get the shaft when it comes to time with you.
Think of all the things that need your attention:
Your spouse.
Your kids.
Your church.
Your extended family.
Your work.
Your friends.
Your finances.
Your extra curricular activities.

And by the time it’s all said and done, a lot of the time we are spread thin and time with the wife or the husband is almost non-existent. I don’t mean time as in, “Good morning honey, here’s your breakfast”or “I took the trash out, gotta run.”  I mean quality time with you and your spouse.  If you’re single, I mean quality time with the ones who you love the most and who love to pour out their lives into you.

Last night Carie and I returned home from a visit to visit Carie’s dad, and we realized we hadn’t spent enough time with just the two of us.  So I shut off my phone around 6:30 pm and we hung out, talked, watched some TV (Prison Break 3 represent), did a little cooking together, and focused on one another.  It was one of the best nights I’ve had this summer, and I’ve had several good ones.  But the truth is, we needed this time.  Busy had become a buzz word for our lives, and though I’m big on relationships, my relationship with Carie is the most important.

So how are you feeling with the status of that all-important earthly relationship?  Bring it back and check things out.  This cannot be left unchecked for long, or this is detrimental to the relationship.  Check yourself today.  When was the last time I spent good quality time with that person or those people I love the most?

You may be surprised by the answer.

To find out what to, click here for one of my favorite posts.

I told Carie that I may or may not blog about this and her vote was no, but she laughed so hard when I told her I probably would that she basically gave me the desire to write todays post.  It’s her fault.

Last night Carie and I had a mini date night.  We went to Panera Bread Co. and did some work on our laptops, we ran into ou friends, the McGuiness’, and then we drove home.  I had to do a few things at the church when we arrived onto our home property, so she walked into the house and proceeded to do some more work.  When I walked in she was working and we started talking about what to do for the rest of the evening.

*Caution:  You might find this inappropriate, which of course will encourage you to actually continue to read it.

Eventually we found ourselves on the couch of “the room without the TV” as we like to call it because there doesn’t seem to be a good purpose for the room, and we were talking about things like what to do with this room decoration-wise, and other basic church stuff.  And then we did that love bug thing and we kissed.   I need to tell you that Carie had left the DirectTV Christian music channel on for background music.  I always find this highly offensive.  As we kissed (for a long time), Amy Grant came on the radio.  At this time, both Carie and I agreed that kssing was not really compatible with the Christian music station DirectTV channel, and more specifically, not with Amy Grant.  And although I tried to convince Carie otherwise…

This includes the song “Baby, Baby.”

This post was written with Watercooler Wednesday in mind.

Yes, this is true, my head feels like it’s exploding…in a good way.

I just spent some time with the guys from this church.  I used to hang a bit with this pastor from that church and all three of the pastors from the church spoke into my life today.  I feel energized and ready to go this week, and maybe this next year.  Thanks Brian, Buddy, and Nate.  Here are three lessons I’ve learned this weekend, not only from them, but also from the people around me, including Carie:

1.  Risk-taking – never get comfortable, and when you do, it’s time to take another risk.
2.  Clear expectations – “Marty, if you didn’t tell them, they might know that they’re supposed to have done that.” – uh, duh Marty!
3.  Sometimes if you want something done, you have to get dirty when you do it.

(4. Coldplay’s acoustic version of th song “Lost” almost brings me to tears. an unbelievable song!)

If you could teach me one thing right now that you’re learning, what would it be?

My friend Eric Mill, who is the boyfriend of one of Carie and I’s favorite people, is a web designer (well, probably something more technical than that) who has done something very creative and unique and almost controversial.  He has decided to place his economic worth on a web page with an RSS feed, so that people can come and periodically see how much money he has in all his accounts.  Here’s why he’s doing it.  He felt the need to put it all out there, claiming that there’s no reason that this issue should be taboo. 
In case you wondered, he also created isitchristmas.com.

I’d love to know what you’re thinking right now.

I’m writing today because tomorrow Carie and I will be away for a day celebrating our anniversary.  So please try to write comments on all my other blogs I’ve written over the last 8 months.  I’m skipping lunch for this post.

Yesterday I was going to meet my beautiful wife for dinner because she had to stay at school for a late meeting.  The penalty of this is that I have to meet her half way at Barbers Crossing in Sterling, MA.  Yummy! 

So on the way there, I received a call from Clay, who told me about this amazing opportunity he was doing to put up a new web site and blog – one that I think might become famous over the next few months.  He was pumped about it, and quite frankly I don’t blame him. He then made me pumped when he told me that his family would be visiting the Holmans in Massachusetts in late July.  So when the site officially goes up, I will share it here at martyholman.com, even though Jeff is not going to like it very much.

Next Brandon called me from texas.  Brandon was also in my wedding (Clay was the best man) and served with me here at the FC for a number of years.  It has always been Brandon’s dream to work at a church full time, and leave it up to him to fulfill that dream in a big way!  He was on cloud 9 when we talked and I am so happy for him.  he really has worked hard to be a good leader in the church.  A shout out to the Whittalls please!

Next I called up Lonnie, my former lead pastor, who was also jumping from the rafters” (is that a quote?).  He told me about a message he preached at his church, and the fruit of the message was that several people commited themselves to following Christ and be baptized. Since this is one of the main things the church should be doing, I celebrated with him.  He also told me my uncle (his pastor now) told him it was “the best evangelistic message I have ever heard preached.”  I’m guessing that after 30 years of ministry that’s saying a little something.

I am proud to call each of these guys my close friends, and think that as a community we should celebrate with them, so on the count of 3:  1…..2….

3!

It’s 12:29 am.  I have just arrived home from watching the Celtics/Lakers game at a friends house, and I’m pleased to announce that today is the Holman’s 3rd and 37th wedding anniversary.
My parents were married in Birmingham, Michigan on June 11th, 1971, and Carie and I were married on June 11th, 2005. 
I love being married to the most wonderful woman of all time, and I thank God every day that He brought us together.  We compliment each other in so many ways, and even though it’s only been a short time, our marriage has gotten stronger each and every day.
So thank you Carie for putting up with me and for your unconditional love,

and by the way, we’re going to Vermont for our anniversary.

Marty is the husband of Carie Holman and the lead pastor of Fellowship Church in Central Massachusetts, where he’s lived since 1998.  His desire is to see people love God and love others, and so his writings usually reflect that desire.  This blog is about relationships, so here are the kinds of topics you can find here throughout the week:

Monday – Stories on our relationship with God
Tuesday – Stories on our relationship with friends
Wednesday – Stories on our relationship with enemies
Thursday – Stories on influence with new friends
Friday – 3 Reasons you should know…

Weekends – Photos of my favorite friends of the week

Enjoy Martyholman.com