I have a list called, "Things I want to do before I die".  I have had this list for some time now, but really haven’t given it much thought until just recently.  So here’s my list and then I will tell you why I am even revealing this to you:
(1) Golf St. Andrews (the Old Course) in Scotland — the birth place of golf
(2) Golf Augusta National in Augusta, Georgia (where the Master’s is played)
(3) Travel in Europe (especially Germany and in Luther territory)
(4) Visit the Holy Lands
(5) Run a marathon

Part of me is really nervous about typing the next part of this post.  It means (at least to me) that I am committed to what I am going to do.  My mom and sister are going to read this along with a number of other people who are going to hold me accountable.  So here it is:  I have set a goal for myself to run a 1/2 marathon next summer and eventually a full marathon if not in 2008 then in 2009.  So there it is.  It’s out there in the open…I am going to run a 1/2 marathon next summer with the goal of eventually running a full marathon by the end of 2009.  Why do I have this on my "Things I want to do before I die" list?  Well…I believe a marathon is the ultimate test of endurance and I want to see if I can actually do it.  I don’t have a time goal just an I-want-to-finish goal.  And I think I can do it, but I am counting on my friends and family to encourage me and hold me accountable.  And not only will I accomplish a dream of mine, but I will get my body in better shape and be a little more healthy.

And in our Christian life – in our walk with Jesus – we also need people to hold us accountable.  Having that trusted person to meet with you to ask you questions like:  How is your soul these days?  How is your prayer life?  Have you been reading your Bible?  How is your stewardship? Etc.  It is easy to ask ourselves these questions but even easier to blow them off.  But when we have an accountability partner then it is harder to blow these questions off.  Our partner is there is encourage us and to pray for us.  They are there to listen when the going gets tough and to point us to Jesus.  And the reverse is also true — we can be there for someone else and be a "little Christ" (as Luther would say) to them.

Discipleship is not an easy thing and it is even more difficult when you are alone.  That is why I am thankful for this blogging community.  You have served as an "accountability partner" for me.  We may not ask each other those faith walk questions all the time, but we are reading and responding to each other.  We are challenging each other.  And if someone here stopped blogging, people would notice.  So I thank each of you for being Christian accountability partners.  I thank you for challenging me and forcing me to think about faith issues and my own personal faith.  Thank you.

With that I take my leave of you so I can head down to the Okoboji Lakes Bible and Missionary conference (Arnold’s Park, IA — NW Iowa).  I have been taking some continuing education this week to attend this free conference and so far so good.  I will tell you more about this conference later and what I took away from it.  But I will tell you this, I have had some pleasant surprises thus far. 

So…in the mean time:  How is your soul doing these days?

God bless!
-edh-