WHAT: We are excited to introduce to you the 3rd Edition to the Jim Ryun Collection!! The 2024 Jim Ryun Collection Camp t-shirt was designed with Jim Ryun's USA jersey as the template. WHEN: Jim Ryun was featured wearing this jersey on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine's May 1971 edition. This year's design will be the third of many years of Camp shirts designed in the likeness of jerseys Jim Ryun wore during his epic career. Do you want to become a member of the Jim Ryun Collection? Click here and sign up for our Camp blog, Run with Ryun. Stay up to date with the latest and greatest!! All 2024 Camp attendees will receive this t-shirt upon check-in. If you are not registered for Camp - you can receive your very own 2024 Jim Ryun Collection Camp t-shirt for a suggested donation of $55. Order your t-shirt now! For every Camp t-shirt reveal, we will include an entry from Jim Ryun’s personal journal in which he shares his thoughts and recollections of having run in that specific jersey (see below). Hope you enjoy a step into the past while considering your future spent staying in communication with the Jim Ryun Running Camp!

JIM RYUN COLLECTION JOURNAL A little background before I share highlights of the race: In January of 1971, I was coming off a two year break from racing and training. My first race that year began with a bang as I tied the world indoor mile record of 3:56.4 in a race in the San Diego Sports Arena. I was pleasantly surprised because we had just moved from Topeka, KS to Eugene, OR and training was just ok,not great. I’d always wanted to live and train in Eugene. After some prayer and careful planning, Anne, baby Heather and I U-Hauled our way to Eugene. As we settled in Eugene, I found I didn’t mind the constant rain and cloud cover which was normal weather for Oregon. Anne and Heather adjusted to it as well referring to the light rain as "liquid sunshine!" Not long after our arrival in Eugene, I found a new training partner, Steve Prefomtaine. Pre and I had reached an agreement to mutually benefit each other’s training and racing schedule. We would not make our daily workouts races. Training was going very well until the University of Oregon head track coach, Bill Bowerman, refused to allow Pre to train with me. Pre and I were both disappointed, but respected Bowerman’s dictate. As the rains began to diminish, the area grasses began to grow. I’ve always had allergy issues that affected my breathing but was totally unprepared for the impact the Oregon grass pollen would have on my training. Later, I learned that Oregon grew approximately 90% of the rye grass grown in our country. My breathing and recovery were gradually impacted resulting in slower training times and longer recovery between workouts. Breathing became more difficult as the rye grass pollen increased. My thoughts as I worked through this problem were honestly, if it didn’t kill me, it would at least make me stronger. This was important as I knew I’d be racing against Villanova’s great miler Marty Liquori in the Spring. Because I realized my training times were a bit slower and my recovery time was much longer, I hesitated to race Marty in Philadelphia. In the end, I decided to get out of my sick bed and to keep my commitment to the Martin Luther King Games to be held at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, PA. Track and field sports writer, Bob Hersh, wrote, "The build up was probably the greatest for any single foot race since the historic 'Miracle Mile' at Vancouver British Columbia in 1954 (the race between Roger Bannister and John Landy won by Bannister due to the tactical error of Landy looking back over his shoulder as the two men sprinted to the finish line.). Actual race: Race day was cool and overcast. The "Dream Mile" had excited the public drawing approximately 60,000 in attendance while catching the attention of CBS Sports. My strategy, now that it was May and I had not raced since January and had become physically depleted, was to follow Marty’s race plan and follow his lead . As the race unfolded, the real race didn’t begin until the half-way mark. The first 880 was around 2:03. Marty passed the 3/4 mark in 3:00.3 having just completed a 56 second third quarter, I was right behind him. Because the pace was a bit slow, I started to take the lead. Marty had the same idea and jumped in front of me. I was content to follow him thinking I’d take the lead with 220 yards to go. When it was my decision to take the lead, my legs wouldn’t respond. They had turned to rubber. I struggled to sprint and found I was unable to match Marty’s finishing kick. The photo cover of SI captured the finish with Marty winning by a stride. We were both timed in 3:54.6. It was a brilliant race run by Marty. The record crowd rewarded him with thunderous applause. While I was disappointed in my performance, I was encouraged that I had run well. Our last 880 yards was 1:51. The amazingly fast last 880 yards was why my legs would not respond when I intended to sprint. Footnotes to the race: 1. The USA race jersey was my 1968 Olympic team singlet. 2. When Anne, Heather and I returned to Eugene, the rye seed grass had grown exponentially worse. I made one more race attempt in Eugene at the Twilight Meet in late May, 1971. In fact, when the AAU Championships were held in Eugene in June, I was in bed sick - the allergies had taken their toll on my body. The Twilight Meet race was such a disaster that Anne, Heather and I packed up and moved to Santa Barbara, CA in August, 1971. Decathlete and Gold medalist in the ‘68 Mexico City Olympics, Bill Toomey, had contacted me and offered to arrange housing for us. I began training for the 1972 Munich Olympics with Club West via telephone (Coach lived in Kansas) with Coach Timmons (or Timmie as we fondly called him). "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." Psalms 119:105 *the runner man on the sleeve is in memory of the son of dear friends and supporters of the ministry JOIN US THIS SUMMER AT CAMP - SPACE IS STILL AVAILABLE - HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON! 2024 CAMP INFO

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Author: Zeke Colyer, Jim Ryun Camp Counselor, Student at Messiah University Book recommendation: Holiness (Modern English Translation) – J.C. Ryle New fav song: “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken” - Indelible Grace Music  Random fun fact: My high school mascot was the “Konkrete Kid”  Fav podcast: Light and Truth Social: @zekecolyer

The Sovereign Snow-Maker For the first time in 3 years, a meaningful amount of snow has accumulated in Pennsylvania. I took the rare opportunity to spend time doing some cross-country skiing, a departure from the habit of running that we share. As I strapped on my boots and clicked into my skis, I was ready for a relaxing time of blazing some new trails in the empty cornfields surrounding my house. However, what greeted me was anything but relaxing. The gentle and consistent snow had turned into freezing rain. What was initially anguish as the freezing rain pelted my eyes turned into a moment of precious awe and wonder. Three truths flooded my mind as I stopped and watched. 1."For by Him all things were created, in Heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through Him and for Him."  – Colossians 1:16  As we know, “All Things” in English means “All Things.” Each uniquely designed snowflake on the ground was created and commanded to be exactly where it is, thousands and thousands of them every second. Every shimmer of light bouncing between the moon and the snow is put there by God himself. Not only that, it is put there for this purpose; “The Heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” (Psalm 19:1). Each shimmer and snowflake is there so that the Glory of God can be seen.  2.Paul continues in Colossians “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (1:17) Not only was everything created so that Christ is seen as supremely glorious, but He holds the world together. Every star, the moon, every tree, every snowflake, molecule of water, even the fingers typing this are held together by Christ. Only by His will is creation sustained. Put literally, Christ is keeping our fingers from flying off! How majestic is our God!  3.The God who designed each snowflake and holds all of them together “humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8). Jesus Christ saw our state of evil and depravity “but now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation – if you continue in your faith, established and firm and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.” (1:21-23). Jesus died a physical death so that we would be made as white as the purest snow and was raised that we would have life in His name to the praise of His glory and grace! Paul’s words in Colossians seek to show us that in everything, Christ is supreme. The world is His and for Him.  So, what is there to do? Paul supplies an answer from a similar argument in Romans saying “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1). The thing to do is worship God. Worship Him by delighting in Him and offering yourself to Him as a living sacrifice!  Demonstrate with your life, with the things you value, that in all ways Christ is supreme. Run hard to demonstrate, win or lose, that your satisfaction is in Christ. Study with the intention of knowing about the world that Christ holds together. Pay attention to the snowflakes because they too exclaim that Christ is supreme.   In all things, seek to show that Christ is supreme!

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Author: Matthew Maher, Jim Ryun Running Camp Chaplain Book recommendation: We Will Not Be Silenced, by Erwin Lutzer New fav song: Way Maker (Leeland)  Random fun fact: I live by the ocean but I do not like the beach! Fav podcast: Rechurched Social: @TruthOverTrend

I don’t believe there is ever anything wasteful about adversity, unless we ourselves see the adversity as wasteful. Thus, our vision determines our conclusion. Without vision, a person has no purpose; and without purpose, a person has no hope. A life absent of hope then, is a life absent of life. I’m not trying to get all philosophical—but the bottom line is—that God has given us Jesus as the focal point of our hope, which allows us to walk through any of the temporary stuff-- messy or not--with the steps of eternity.  When we see Jesus as the King in control of everything, then the circumstances that touch our lives aren't wasteful, but purposeful. You see, the Christian's destiny has been preset from all eternity to be made into the image of King Jesus. Yet we respond like paupers when the "poorness" of problems are deposited into our lives. God however, desires for us to be rich in character, in accordance with the richness of His nature. And since we can't see His image locked up within, God uses everything we go through to withdraw His image without.  He. Uses. Everything. I speak from the empty bank vault of my past life, where I thought I was successful because of my resume. I received a full athletic scholarship from Temple University and was drafted as a 1st round draft pick to play soccer professionally. But what was my character like without Christ? Many would have thought highly of it based on the outward appearance. I, too, believed I was going in the direction of success—“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is death" (Proverbs 14:12). I was rich in pride, yet pride is backed by the bank of hell. And though one may be prospering, he could be headed straight to bankruptcy. Take it from me, because I caused a very reckless tragedy.  And surely God doesn't ordain recklessness, but He does recycle our faults, flaws, and failures into usefulness. My adversity didn't move me to this conclusion, my restored vision did. I saw Jesus as my hope and He gave me purpose in my pain. He gave me life in death. He gave me the richness of His character by allowing me to experience the poorness of my own character. I do not believe for a single second that there is ever anything wasteful about what God allows to touch our lives because if it has touched us, it had to pass through the scarred hands of Jesus. You. Are. His. Everything.

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Author: Dr. Dick Watson, JRRC Board Member Latest Fav Worship Song:  Mostly I just run a Hillsong playlist Latest Fav Book: "This Day " by Wendell Berry Random Fun Fact: Starman was my self-appointed name as a child Latest Fav Podcast: I'm not really a podcast guy, but I enjoy listening to Malcom Guite

Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22 I guess at my core, I'm a guy who loves lists. Especially lists with three items! You know, three points and a prayer! So here is my list for life. And of course, it has three points!  #1 Live Righteously  Number one is number one for a reason, it guides every other decision. Our choices are what make us. Deciding to choose the right path will make all the difference in the world. It first comes down to knowing that “right thing." Imagine going to a race and lining up without knowing the actual distance you would be running. That actually sounds like it would be a great race to watch! But not run! A lot is made of that “right way." Jesus knew this so He broke it down to 3rd grade level for us - Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. If every day, in the midst of all of the complications of this world, if we would just quiet ourselves and commit to those two aims, a lot of the complexity would drift away. “In this situation, am I loving God and loving my neighbor?” “When I speak my words, am I loving God and loving my neighbor?" 3rd grade stuff. I loved 3rd grade!  #2 Say Yes Every Chance You Get (without violating #1)  So much of our lives is spent trying not to be uncomfortable. Everything about us seems to be concerned with the avoidance of pain, hunger, work and we have a preference for the familiar over the unfamiliar. But we know what that means for athletic performance. The only way to make gains is to get out of our comfort zone. Eventually, this means we become disciples of suffering - embracing the edges of our limits. This is what provides the performance we work towards. The same is true of life. Maybe not a fear of the new, but an unwillingness to embrace the “discomfort” of going outside of our normal experiences. New places, new foods, new situations, new friends, all provide a breadth to life that gives us a new perspective. This freedom to explore comes with the caveat - don't violate #1. Pursuing righteousness and an adventurous life is a truly remarkable and fulfilling journey!  #3 Go Anaerobic Once a Week  To non-runners, this is a foreign concept. But to a runner, this is an everyday thought. Some of the biggest performance gains are made right at the point where our bodies cease to be able to consume and utilize more oxygen. Anaerobic threshold, VO2 Max, lactate threshold, all speak of limits. Limits that we push in hopes of squeezing every last ounce of potential from our genetics. Many people will never know that space -  where the possible meets the impossible, where desires and character overtake boundaries and limits. As humans there is much to be discovered in this “no man zone." We learn everything about ourselves in those moments. No one else sees it, and no one else can judge it, it is the most personal of places. Life is in every way just like that. Seldom do people find their limits, but if we allow ourselves to come up to that place, where we are at the end of ourselves, we can have a wonderful conversation with the One who created us! “For when I am weak, He is strong” becomes the mantra and Eric Liddell’s “When I run, I feel His pleasure," become almost a hymn. We as humans are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. But our limitations take us off our throne and allow us to clearly see God. Each of us will experience a time in our lives that will completely strip us of all ability to go on. It may be happening right now for you. There is no doubt that God is there with you and if you will look and listen, you will see and hear Him more clearly than ever before! Pursue RFLP 2TIM222 -- Richard L. Watson, MD

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Author: Catharine Ryun, Director of Development at The Jim Ryun Running Latest Fav Worship Song: “My King Forever” by Josh Baldwin Latest Fav Book: “The Watchmaker's Daughter” by Larry Loftis Random Fun Fact: One of my favorite drinks is. . . .dill pickle juice :) Latest Fav Podcast: She Reads Truth (He Reads Truth too) Social: @cathryun

Did you know that May is Foster Care Awareness month? You may wonder what a running camp blog & foster care have in common? I am the Director of Development for The Jim Ryun Running Camp and I AM A FOSTER MOM! :) While everyone is not called to be a foster parent, just as we are not all called to be doctors, teachers, nutritionists, etc - I want to challenge you to think about what calling God has on your life. Is the life that you are living super comfortable and not challenging? Then I would assume your life is boring (LOL)! While God gives us so many wonderful things to enjoy in life (James 1:17), He also calls us to an exciting adventure with Him that causes us to lean in and gain our strength, courage & endurance from Him. Many people say to me they could never be a foster mom and my answer is you are right, I cannot be a foster mom either. Every day I trust the Lord to give me strength, courage & endurance to be a blessing. Recently, a member of my church asked if he could feature me on the cover of the magazine he publishes. I said as long as I could speak freely about my faith, fostering and (yes) running camp, I would do it! I am excited to share with you the article. Please click here to read. To the glory of God I hope this article blesses and encourages you to live BOLDLY for the Lord! Looking forward to seeing you soon at Camp! Love, Catharine

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Author: Noah Tindale, Jim Ryun Running Camp Counselor Latest Fav Worship Song: “Sunday is Coming” by Phil Wickham Latest Fav Book: “You Are What You Love” by James K.A. Smith Random Fun Fact: One of my favorite hobbies is playing disk golf Latest Fav Podcast: Bible Thinker, Mike Winger Social: @Noahtin & noahtin.com

Something that I'm gradually realizing about the sport of running and the act of running alike is this: all of it - the training, the resting, the sweating, the pushing, the rolling, the stretching, the enjoying the results of difficult labor, the community, the goal-setting, the highs, the lows, the PR's, the trophies, etc., etc., etc. - all of it, down to each minute piece, is truly a gracious, free and full gift - one that is given from God Himself to His creatures to enjoy in creation. Now, I know what you may be thinking. Is something truly a gift if it involves blood (hopefully not in running), sweat, and tears? Is it really a gift to push your body into the ground just to see a time on a clock? Is it worth it to run dozens of monotonous laps around a track for a workout just to do again the next day? And to that I say: yes, it absolutely is. But it's a gift for a different reason than the hard work. Is hard work Biblical? Sure. Actually, that's more like an emphatic YES. The proof is everywhere. The author of Colossians: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters..."  - Colossians 3:23 Jesus Himself along with the Father: “My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I too am working.”  - John 5:17 Jesus Himself on what His followers should do: "...let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:16. How about a Proverb to cap it off? "A sluggard's appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied." - Proverbs 13:4 Undoubtedly, unapologetically and with conviction, hard work is essential and important to living a fruitful life in the eyes of God. It's why many runners are so successful later in life - they work hard and diligently at their craft for hours, days, weeks and years on end. They then, expectantly and confidently, receive the fruits of their labor in performance on race day! This kind of work ethic translates into every arena of life! But these reasons, though good, are not why I've been considering running as a gift recently. The gift of running has become more of a gift to me simply because it's a time to be with God. It's also time to be with others. It's a chance to put the phone down, to let the brain unwind, to detach from the stressors of this life, to become in tune with the Spirit of God and to search out our deepest longings and desires. Here, the gift of running is less about "the grind" (as modern millennials and gen-z'ers would put it), and more about the "the time" - not in the sense of running a certain time, but in being present in time with the One who made time. Something that you'll learn, when (wink wink) you come to the Jim Ryun Running Camp, is that we serve a God who loves to give gifts to His children. The greatest gift is the gift of Jesus - the Savior of the world. And the greatest gift giver now has given us the gift of freedom to run free and run fearlessly. He has given us freedom to be excited about workouts in His presence, to be at peace with our friends and family who run with us and to be hopeful for the future of how we can better ourselves in pursuit of a goal through disciplines and routines. Hard work you should do, this is true. But hard work alone will not satisfy you. Christ will, and the act of running will feel so much more free when He is central in your pursuit! As we near the summer and many of you high schoolers  are finishing up your year, perhaps you are drained, or perhaps you're having the greatest season of your life. I'm not sure exactly where you may be, but I encourage you: run as if there's nothing to lose, because in Christ, there isn't! We'll see you this summer!

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Author: Sarah Maher, wife of Matt Maher, Jim Ryun Running Camp Chaplain Latest Fav Worship Song: “Not In A Hurry” by United Pursuit Latest Fav Book: “Here Now” by Kate Merrick Random Fun Fact: Sarah and her sisters own a clothing boutique Latest Fav Podcast: Rechurched Social: @TruthOverTrend

“We wait and hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.” Psalm 33:20 [Written by my wife, Sarah Maher. But more than that, this blog was written from personal experience and a heart beautified by the Lord for the younger generation] To the girl who started this school semester thinking, “I just need to survive this school year”…. “As long as I stick with my friend group, I’ll be okay”.... or, “THIS will be the year I feel good enough (accepted, valued)." Listen, none of those thoughts are wrong (I have been there! *braces, flip phone and all*), but can I be honest with you for a moment?  You were made for more than just “survival.” Your friends WILL let you down, as great as they may be, I can promise you that they will fall short. And there might be days where you feel like you don’t belong and the tears may fall, and all you want to do is crawl in your bed and disappear from it all.  But TAKE HEART, there’s good news: you have a CHOICE on where you place your hope. You get to decide where you exhaust your energy, where you seek peace, and where you find your worth/validation.  I’m not trying to sound uber spiritual or be that corny mom who has no idea what I’m talking about, but LET ME TESTIFY--Jesus is enough. On the day where your peers ADORE you, the day you make the sports team, the day everyone compliments your outfit, and the cute boy notices you...He’s enough.  On the day you feel so alone that you’d rather not wake to see the next, on the day your parents make you feel like a caged bird, on the day you feel unliked/invisible/uncomfortable in your own skin, and EVEN on the day you feel shame from a decision you made on the weekend and everyone is talking about it… He is STILL enough.  I pray that you have an AMAZING year full of growth and JOY, but let's be diligent in placing our hope where it belongs. Our faithful, Heavenly Father knows WAY better than we do. He loves your ratchet side and He delights in you. Lean in. He’s enough.

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Author: Rosemarie Knorr, Board Member Latest Fav Worship Song: "Holy Spirit, You Are Welcome Here" by Jesus Culture, Kim Walker-Smith, Francesca Battistelli Random Fun Fact: I can understand Swiss German. Latest Fav Podcast:  "I don’t have enough faith to be an atheist" - Dr. Frank Turek

Are you a yo-yo? Do you want to be a yo-yo? A yo-yo gets its power and direction from the hand of a master.  A yo-yo is useless without the string being around the finger of a hand. A yo-yo can do amazing things with a slight movement of the controlling hand. Who is your Master? Whose hand is guiding you? How much time are you spending in that hand? Can you see yourself being used by God? How effective can you be as a Christian without spending time with God and in the Word of God?  I would like to compare the yo-yo to ourselves and the time spent in the Master’s hand with the wisdom and direction we need daily. Every time we go back to our Master's hand, we receive all that we need.  In order to be an effective Christian influencing the world for His Kingdom we require daily guidance, wisdom and encouragement. We need to be the yo-yo. God created you for this purpose.  Today, God is looking for ordinary, everyday believers like you and me to do His work on earth. We can do His work on earth by allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us in wisdom and work through us. As we use our skills and abilities to influence others for Him, we are advancing His Kingdom on earth. As we interact with those around us, we can share what and Who we know to be true. We can be the yo-yo.  I believe that we all want to make a positive impact on the world. We all want to do good. That is the unspoken goal of all of our lives. But who defines good? Who defines Truth? As Christians, we believe in a Sovereign God Who created all things, controls all things and defines all things. As believers we know all Truth is found in the Bible. We know that God speaks to us through His Word. Allow Him to speak to you and encourage you daily. Allow yourself to be the yo-yo. As our eternal loving Father, God is actively, constantly calling all humanity to Himself. As we all live, we all seek love, wholeness, acceptance and forgiveness. We can allow the Holy Spirit to work through us to bring all those who need Him into His Kingdom; allowing them to receive the love, wholeness, acceptance and forgiveness they need. We can achieve the unspoken goal of our lives. Being effective for the Kingdom of God, I believe is being a daily yo-yo. And remember, The Master will always pull His loved ones upward!  Teresa of Avila, a 16th century nun, said, “Christ has no hands on earth but yours. No feet on earth but yours. No eyes of compassion on earth but yours. He has no body on earth but yours.”

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Author: Anna Tankersley Latest Book Recommendation: The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson Latest Fav Worship Song: “Rooftop” by John Mark Pantana Random Fun Fact: Cookie dough is more convenient than chocolate chip cookies. Latest Fav Podcast: “Sweet Discipline” - The Village Church Social: @annatankersley99

I’ve been thinking about toil lately. I’m two months into my first year of teaching and to be honest a lot of days have just felt too hard. I notice I often live for the weekend when I can catch a break from the behavior struggles of my students, daily discouragement and never-ending amount of work. But then Sunday night rolls around. Dread and fear creep into my joy and contentment because the clock is ticking: I’m about to enter another exhausting week of teaching. It’s healthy emotionally to acknowledge something is tough. But I hate that something I’ve been excited for and equipped by God for has become something I dread and fear at times. I’ve been asking myself, "What would life be like if everything was easy?" If my students mastered the concept immediately and were always respectful, docile and motivated to learn, would I ever be challenged, refined and purified? My answer? I think I’d be very comfortable and forget my need for the Lord because I wouldn’t think I needed His help. So, I’m learning to acknowledge the toil and pain, welcoming Jesus into it with me. He’s showing me this phase in my life is fostering moments of pressing into Him. Relying on Him. Praying for others who also feel overwhelmed and drained. In Lecrae’s book I Am Restored, he writes, “Wherever you are, He [God] is there, and He cares even more about our well-being than we do. Ultimately, in some grander way, we will be better and the narrative will be for our good. Circumstances don’t disturb me now like they did before, because my core foundation can’t be shaken.” May we choose to believe He really does love us. May we ask for His perspective through the struggle. Maybe it’s a defeating race result time and time again despite hours of toil throughout the week. Maybe it’s the realization running no longer brings joy as it once did. Maybe it’s the lie that we can never be satisfied and proud of ourselves until we’re the absolute best athlete on the team, in the district, or in the state. May God lead us to a place where we can also say, like Paul, “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20: 24). If you know where you’re headed, it makes the journey a whole lot easier. May we all be headed to Jesus.

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Authors: Chip and Morgan Kueffer, Camp Registrar and Director of Logistics Latest book recommendation: Raise Your Game by Allan Stein Jr. Latest fav song: Jesus Name (God of Possible), Katy Nichole Random fun fact: Have known each other since 2010 Social: @morgankueffer @chipkueffer

Both of us grew up in sports and we pray that our future children will have a similar love for sports. Now as adults, we realize how much of an impact sport has on everyday life. There have been many situations in life with people we encounter, tough days at work, simple little tasks that we have been able to handle in a positive way because of life lessons we’ve learned from sports. We want to share with you what sports means to us and encourage you with life lessons we have learned along the way! 1.     Sports means being a part of a team. Chip had the opportunity to work for Under Armour for 3 years in Kansas City. A big part of his job was being on a team in which he had to communicate thoroughly and effectively. It is easy to get too busy and not speak life to others in corporate America. Same goes for sports: for instance, you don’t have a good game or race and you’re upset and choose to let that affect how you treat your team. We encourage you to continue to be competitive, but also lift your teammates up at the same time. Being a part of a team means encouraging, loving and being there for one another. You never know what a person is going through. 1 Corinthians 12:14 says “The body of Christ, or the people that are the whole of humanity, are a team. The body is not supported by one person, but by all of us. We are one, we are strongest working together in unity. Teamwork is the key to living life in harmony, so that we can do God’s will.” 2.     Sports means submitting to and respecting authority. Morgan is employed as a nanny. One of the biggest takeaways she has learned from her charges is that children don’t have to be taught to sin. Children do, however, have to be taught to follow directions, share and to recognize that Mom and Dad are in charge. In sports, your Coach hopefully has the best intentions for you and though you may not always agree with him/her you learn to understand someone else’s way of thinking. You begin to realize your way may not always be the right way. This attitude goes a long way in the real world. Both in nannying and in sports, Morgan has learned to exercise humility. The Bible states God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Submitting to authority as a youth isn’t always easy and most of the time not fun.  A side note concerning submitting to those in authority: As we’ve matured, we realize how important it is to spend time with our parents. They continue to get older and sadly, our time with them is limited. We have decided collectively that we will put aside our busy to do list to spend quality time with family. We have chosen to honor our parents in this way. 3.     Sports mean being competitive yet graceful. Chip and I agree to disagree on the phrase, “learning to lose." Being competitive is awesome and comes naturally to both of us, but losing is something that sometimes takes quite a few days/weeks/months to get over. There have been countless races where I have not won and quite frankly, run a horrible race. Instead of getting down and out about the loss, I have been reminded that God gave me the strength and passion for running in the first place and all glory is His. In those moments of defeat, I have felt hopeless when I didn't run a PR or earned a medal. I want to encourage you that Jesus went through so much for each of us. Giving His life up doesn't begin to compare to losing a race.  The Bible is clear when it admonishes us to do ALL things for God’s glory (I Corinthians 10:31). ALL means everything. Victories and defeats! We both realize that loving Jesus is easy but walking the walk with everyday struggles isn’t quite so easy. We encourage you to keep seeking Jesus, pray fervently, worship, and have a time every day when you sit qietly with Jesus reading your Bible. Allow Him to speak to you through His Word. God is always with you.

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Author: Catharine Ryun Latest book recommendation: "Foster the Family"  Jamie C. Finn Latest fav song: Egypt, CAIN & God is Good, Francesca Battistelli Random fun fact: I beat President Bush in a 5K run  Fav podcast: She Reads Truth: The Armour of God Social: @cathryun

395 days. That’s how many days I have said yes to interrupted night sleeps, numerous doctors appointments, weekly visits to places to where I have been motivated to obtain my Concealed Carry license. 395 days of approximately 3,950 diaper changes and about 3,160 bottles prepared.  But more importantly, it has been 395 days to saying yes to sweet smiles and kisses, beautiful new noises from a little curious personality, endless giggles, little arms that reach out for a hug and a joy that I never knew existed. 395 days of feeling the fulfillment of who God made me to be. Many of you may not know, but the month of May is Foster Care Month. I am a happy foster mama to a beautiful 13-month-old baby boy. You may think what does fostering have to do with a Running Camp blog? Well, let me tell you. All my years of running, building endurance, perseverance, patience through injury, etc., have embedded in me a beautiful foundation for how my faith has been tested day in and day out this last year. There have been feelings in my heart and my soul that perhaps went into a season of hibernation/stagnation. This past year has definitely been a season of Springlike growth. Things have been blooming and growing in my heart that can only point to the faithfulness of God. I believe we will share a commonality in this blog for just how faith-challenging and faith-building life can be. I am excited to encourage and challenge our hearts together!  #1 Don’t worry about tomorrow (a lot easier said than done) I’ve been challenged this year to take one day at a time, not giving thought to tomorrow or to imagine what life could be like in six months or one year. Have you ever struggled with these kinds of thoughts? I have found great peace taking life one day at a time when it comes to my thoughts and my fears. There is a reason the Bible in Matthew 6:34 states: “Do not worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  I find it interesting that the verse preceding verse 34 goes like this: ”But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Seek Him first, keep your eyes on Jesus. He knows best and can see the big picture – He sees tomorrow and 6 months down the road & 6 years down the road. He will guide me as I seek Him. Knowing and being in relationship with the Prince of Peace is priceless and life changing. (If you really want our God of peace to rule in your heart, check out Philippians 4:4-9 and make it your mantra.) #2 God will fight for you Sometimes I know exactly how I need God to come through, but I can only imagine the numerous times God fights on my behalf and I am unaware of it. He is at work behind the scenes. I love meditating on Deuteronomy 3:33: “Don’t be afraid of them, for the Lord your God fights for you.” And in Psalm 18 “. . . He shields all who take refuge in Him." This makes me recall the Chris Tomlin song," Whom Shall I Fear." I know as the Lord fights for me, He gives me the courage and strength to stand up for truth on a daily basis.  One practical way I am learning that God really is in control is when I drop my little guy off for his unsupervised visits with his biological mom. This is when I especially feel out of control. I know in my head that the Lord watches over all and I am so grateful that He watches over my little guy even when I cannot see him. As I choose not to get emotional, He really does give me peace that passes my understanding. The first time I dropped my little guy off for an unsupervised visit, I went to the grocery store. As I was shopping, I was tempted to start crying, allowing fear to rule over me while allowing my mind to wander. Fortunately, I CHOSE to speak out-loud, “Lord, I trust You. I know You are protecting him.” At that moment, as I chose to trust the Lord and NOT let my emotions lead me – the Lord gave me an abiding peace. #3 Prayer works Ok so I know this is not a new revelation for some, nor is it for me – but it has become real for me especially this year. There are days where I can be so overwhelmed, I literally must stop, drop and pray. And this isn’t some kind of a “yeah, yeah I’ll pray about that.” This is a get on my knees and pour my heart out to the Lord kind of moment. These prayers are not just about me, my fears and anxiety. I have come to a better understanding of having communion with the Lord, time dedicated just to Him, of bringing my family and friends before the Lord. It has been incredible to see how He has worked in my life and in others this year. An example of this truth was when my little guy had an allergic reaction to a cereal. I took him to the allergist and learned he has allergies for a few other foods that could have been life changing. Now I am armed with an EpiPen and knowledge. The Lord definitely has a way of working things out for GOOD. #4 Living in His strength, not my own So many people have told me they could never do what I do. My response: I can’t either. There have been days where I wish I could just escape some of the situations I’m in. But, I can’t. I realize I’m right where God wants me to be (I imagine Him smiling down on me as this realization dawns on me) relying 150% completely on Him. Again, in Psalm 18 (love this Psalm – it is my "go to" Psalm when I don’t have words to pray, when I just do not know what to do and where to go) “. . . It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.” Another "go to" verse is Isaiah 40:29: “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” And, yes, Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”  If you desire for your faith to grow, expect some major challenges. Through the challenges, choose to praise God. We know who wins in the end. We know God is in control and at the end of the day we will be stronger soldiers for Christ. The Christian walk of faith is not for the faint of heart. We know that joy comes in the morning and that His faithfulness and mercies are new every day. I have found especially this year that as I desire my faith to grow, it takes staying in tune with the Lord. I must be on guard against anything that would make me deviate from His plan. Whether it’s influences from friends, movies that are not God honoring, music that has me meditating on something other than God’s word, I desperately desire to keep the portal between God and me clean and clear to the best of my grace-given ability. My hope is in the Lord! Even on the days I don’t feel like it, I say out-loud  “My hope is in You Lord.” Call your soul into action. Try it! These days I find myself living in a tension of relying on God’s strength and living through real life conflict daily. I can say with confidence it is a beautiful place to be WHEN I am trusting the Lord. I feel like I’m really living, not that I wasn’t living before, but I have hit my stride and I am loving life. Does that mean that life is perfect with no conflict, no anxiety, with no fear? No not at all. Actually, all of that is probably at an all-time high. However, I can honestly say my life is the most fulfilling it has ever been. If you’re not feeling like you’re really living to your full God given potential, what’s holding you back?  Sometimes it’s fear, sometimes it’s lack of a vision, sometimes it’s simply not trusting the Lord. Whatever it is, put it before the Lord today. He already knows. And if you feel the Lord nudging you in a way that is outside of your comfort zone, take a leap of faith. You are right where God wants you to be, relying on Him ALONE. I can tell you that the leap is worth it. The Lord is there to provide, underneath are His everlasting arms and the solid ground beneath your feet.

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Author: Emily Stillwell (Sechrist) - I ran XC and track for Oklahoma Baptist University. I am a special education teacher in North Carolina and serve in a youth group alongside my husband, Chancellor who is the student pastor at the Church at Clayton Crossings.  I attended JRRC 3 years as a Camper and for 3 years served on the Staff of JRRC. Latest book recommendation: “The Gospel Comes with a House Key” by Rosaria Butterfield Fav song: “You’re the Best Part” by Olivia Georgia  Random fun fact: I was a part of the World Record for the loudest sports stadium of all time in 2014 at Arrowhead Stadium against the Patriots. (Go Chiefs!) Fav podcast: "Verity” by Phylicia Masonheimer Social: Facebook- Emily Stillwell, emilyjstillwell@gmail.com

On April 24, 2010, I woke up to my alarm with excitement, grabbed a Reese’s cup I had set on my nightstand, sat up in bed, and savored each bite of that glorious peanut butter and chocolate combination.  As a runner and health-conscious individual, the practice of eating candy the second I wake up is not something I had done before or would recommend. However, April 24 was Easter morning. And after giving up all candy and desserts for Lent, Easter morning meant freedom from my commitment and the ability to enjoy one of my favorite foods once again! Which I took no delay in doing. A lot of denominations don’t celebrate Lent, and there’s nothing in the Bible that says we have to, but it’s been a meaningful time in my walk with Christ for many years. Lent, similar to Advent at Christmas time, is a time where we focus our hearts and minds on Christ and prepare for His resurrection. During the 46 days before Easter, believers are encouraged to give up things that distract them from Christ or focus on habits that can be used to strengthen their relationship with Him. That year when I gave up sweets, I challenged myself to intentionally pray every time I was offered a dessert or was tempted to have one. It also was a great conversation starter when someone asked why I wasn’t having a piece of cake; it allowed me to share about Easter and the joy of Christ’s resurrection.  I have given up social media, gossip and similar distractions before. This year, rather than focusing on weeding out something in my life, I focused on what I wanted more of and have been dedicating a specific amount of time each morning to prayer— lifting up my family, my school, friends and my non-believing friends by name. This year, I hope to continue these practices after Easter! Even when I haven’t been fasting from sweets or social media, Easter morning has always been full of joy and anticipation for me. There were several reasons for this excitement. For one, my mom had an old Sandi Patty Easter CD she would blast from the kitchen as we got ready. It was hard not to be excited when proclamations of “He is Risen!” and “Morning Like This” played throughout the house. Besides new Easter clothes and seeing many of my friends who didn’t regularly come to church, Easter held, and still does hold, anticipation for an even more significant reason.  This joy and anticipation began at the first Easter.  Matthew 28:2-6, 9 “There was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended  from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. His        appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards were so          shaken by fear of him that they became like dead men. The angel told the women, “Don’t be    afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. For He has risen, just as He said… Just then Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ They came up, took hold of His feet, and worshiped Him.” I can’t imagine the sick feeling of disappointment Jesus’ followers woke up with each morning following the crucifixion of their friend and Lord. Everything they believed and gave their lives for turned out to be a lie. However, it’s amazing how quickly their dread turned to shock and amazement when they discovered the empty tomb and the Messiah Himself. What else could they do but fall at His feet and worship?  They didn’t keep this news to themselves.  John 20: 1-4 “So Mary went running to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus      loved, and said to them, ‘They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where      they’ve put Him!’ At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first.” In this passage, we not only see one of the first cross-country races in history, or maybe steeplechase depending on the terrain, but we also see the disciples’ eagerness, joy and urgency.  For those of us who have accepted Christ’s gift of grace and forgiveness offered when He died on the Cross, this joy and eagerness applies to us! We don’t have to wait until April 17th to remember that Christ conquered death– that He became victorious over all of the sadness we will ever have, hardships we will face and sins we will commit. This reminder should fill us with the same triumph, hope and urgency to share His life with others. We shouldn’t celebrate Christ’s conquering of death only one morning a year, but EVERY morning!  And celebrate the Gospel each time we sin and wonder if His grace is still enough.  And celebrate it every time we lose a loved one and wonder if we’ll see them again.  And celebrate every time we are provided with an opportunity to share what we believe.  It’s called the GOOD NEWS for a reason. We have the answer to unexplainable joy, hope, peace and eternal life! We get to live every day with the knowledge that surpasses all understanding and wake up each day like it’s Easter morning!

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Author: Matthew Maher, Jim Ryun Running Camp Chaplain Book recommendation: We Will Not Be Silenced, by Erwin Lutzer New fav song: Way Maker (Leeland)  Random fun fact: I live by the ocean but I do not like the beach! Fav podcast: Rechurched Social: @TruthOverTrend

Every time I look at my Bible I’m reminded of two things:  prison and peace.   How is that possible?  First, it wasn’t that prison was my peace, but I was imprisoned by peace while in prison. And the peace of God that guarded me was greater than any guard or wall that confined me. And second, one day I was out of my area and a guy in my housing unit decided to surprise me with a gift.  This gentleman had noticed how worn and torn my Bible cover was and found it fitting to make a new unique cover for it.   The material?  He used the plastic that covered the foam on our 2-inch mattresses. It’s obviously durable enough considering the longevity such “furniture” must have in prison.   So, now you see why I’m reminded of prison every time I look at my Bible! It’s actually a piece of prison that I took home with me! But what about the other peace that I was talking about? Well, when I open up the “mattress” of Gods Word, I find my soul is able to rest, like my head on top of a pillow.  I say that figuratively. But also literally, because sometimes I lay my head down on this Bible just to feel the plastic cover on my cheek as a way of reminding myself what I had to sleep on--for close to 5 years.  Talk about perspective! The truth is it doesn’t matter that I now get to sleep in a king-size bed, if I fail to have the King’s peace. The question: Am I really better off because my pristine new environment is the polar opposite of the sleepless nights, slamming gates, and incessant fighting between inmates?  The answer:  No I’m not better off.  All of the luxuries and comforts of the world mean absolutely nothing if you don’t know the peace of God. So as I look at my Bible covered in the plastic of a prison mattress, I realize that the Word of God can turn the hardest pillar into the softest pillow.  And best of all, Jesus gives His peace to us freely, but we must give Him our anxiety. You cannot keep both at the same time. Crazy how all of life’s problems could be dissolved if we were to just spend more time being overwhelmed by God’s peace rather than being overwhelmed by this world's pace.

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Author: Robert J. Knorr III, Board Member, Jim Ryun Ministries Latest book recommendation: “Seven Days That Divide The World: The Beginning According to Genesis and Science” by John C. Lennox   Fav workout song: “It Don’t Come Easy” by Ringo Starr Random fun fact: Some people say I make the best pizza in the world. (Who am I to argue?) Fav podcast: Truth Over Trend by Mathew Maher Social: @TimelessTartans #TimelessTartans

Time and place.  What time did you run? What place did you get? As a middle-distance runner in high school and college these were two questions I could expect from well-meaning family and friends after most races. I looked forward to these time/place questions whenever I ran a PR or earned a medal. However, after a sub-par performance I dreaded those same questions and my mind would quickly go to work looking for some creative excuse.  As a senior year in high school, I once lost to my younger freshman brother in a cross-country race and the excuse I offered to my coach was - “A tree ran into me.” Hearing this feeble excuse, my coach barked back - “Well, clearly that tree was mentally better-prepared than you were today!”  The truth is that I was actually winning the race when I tried to save a few steps by ducking under a low-hanging branch on a tree that marked the far corner of the course. Unfortunately, what I hadn’t anticipated was that one step beyond that low-hanging 3 foot branch was another 4 foot branch that my 6 foot tall frame hit with full force. That attempted short-cut left me with a nasty bump on my head and a deep bruise on my ego. The bark of my coach (as well as that tree) provided me the blunt feedback I needed to perform better next time.          Time and place are two objective ways to measure our performance as runners. Times and places are completely objective; they provide the unambiguous, and at times, blunt feedback we need to perform our best. For many competitive runners the problem is when we allow our entire identity to be defined - positively or negatively - by our performance on a particular day. The truth is running is what we do - not who we are!  As a part-time college professor, I encounter students who anguish over what they will do after graduation; many are struggling to find their purpose in life. Their anguish is almost always rooted in confusion about who they are. The secular worldview of personal identity is rooted in the theory that humans are the mere biological by-products of random chance. If this secular worldview were true, then it would mean that humans have no greater value, or serve no higher purpose, than animals, plants, or any other life form. In recent years the celebration of gender dysphoria has only added to this confusion. If the fundamental question of our identity is up for debate, is it any wonder that many young people find themself struggling to find purpose in life?  By contrast, a Biblical worldview provides unambiguous answers to the questions of who we are and the purpose for which we are made. Genesis 1:27-28 is packed with the Divine Truth that each one of us is distinctively created in the image of a loving God and blessed by Him with what we need to thrive in His creation. Psalm 139 (verse 7-16) provides further insight by revealing that the souls we are given are imbued with incalculable value from the moment we are conceived. Even after our time in this world is complete we can not escape the God who gave us eternal souls.  Knowing that our Creator is all-knowing, all-loving, and all-powerful provides us the assurance that our identity is distinctive and has purpose during our limited time and place in this world. His Son Jesus summarizes our purpose succinctly in Matthew 22 when He instructs us to  “…love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” in verse 37 and to “...love your neighbor as yourself” in verse 39). Obedience to these commands begins each day when you identify yourself, and everyone you encounter, as eternal souls with immeasurable value.    Several weeks after my ill-fated shortcut attempt in that cross-country race, I ran into another kind of tree. At a Fellowship of Christian Athletes event, I learned that our souls could be protected for all time by following Jesus Christ who “died for us and was hung from a tree” (Acts 5:30). It is at this place - the Cross - where we find our true identity and purpose during the appointed time we are given in this place.

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Author: Matthew Maher, Jim Ryun Running Camp Chaplain Book recommendation: We Will Not Be Silenced, by Erwin Lutzer New fav song: Way Maker (Leeland)  Random fun fact: I live by the ocean but I do not like the beach! Fav podcast: Rechurched Social: @TruthOverTrend

My everyday pressures compared to my former day pressures is the difference between a hurricane and a light rain. An umbrella covers one! But the other one, (regardless of the outward safety precautions) will eventually cover you. Prison pressure was a hurricane, making life’s current pressure nothing but a light rain. I don’t downplay anyone’s circumstances, but I put a microscope to my life’s circumstances. I was in an earthly form of hell for over 4 and 1/2 years, yet I emerged without smelling like fire because I recognized that Jesus was with me in the fire (Daniel 3:25).  And now that I am out of the furnace, how could I see this side as something to be considered more furious? I refuse, for Jesus is still with me! And I refuse because you have no idea what I’ve been through to be where I am today.  Fights use to break out less than 3 yards from where I would be studying my Bible in the early AM. Weapons like razors and “locks in socks” would be used to decide who was the victor, where blood splatters were the spoil. You never knew if a guard was gonna take his bad day out on you, whether by locking you up for no reason, or literally beating you down with the bottom of his shoe. Yea, I witnessed both of those too! And I don’t want sympathy or empathy for my story, but I will use my past as a platform to give God the present glory.  “Yet not I,” I say and I pray, “but the grace of God which is producing anything fruitful in my life and performing for me as the favor of my life.” You see, I may have constructed the prison that housed me by way of a reckless decision, which made the pressure of the adversity to be considered self-afflicted. But the reckless decision doesn’t define me and that’s why I’m allowing such pressures from behind me to push me forward for God to use the refined me.   So YES, I do consider this side of my freedom to be the “weathered” side of God’s kingdom.  I wonder if a sailor who has experienced a hurricane on the waters is as fearful of a downpour that falls upon him while on land? He has seen darkness that smothers you and waves that can cover you.  So with that experience, how can you let any other pressure trouble you? God’s greatest victories come by way of apparent defeat. And just when the enemy thinks the pressure has reduced you to a dime, God uses that same pressure to produce a diamond.  Let’s see if the Bible will back me: “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (I Peter 1:6-7). #iCONVICTION

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Author: Jim Ryun Book recommendation: Seven Men & Seven Women, By Eric Metaxas New fav song: In Christ Alone New fav movie: I Can Only Imagine Random fun fact: In 5th grade, lost the school 600 yd run to a girl Fav podcast: In Touch, Charles Stanley Social: @jimryun

As I reflect on the year 2021, I am in awe of God's goodness, Psalm 9:1 & 2 comes to mind. "I will give thanks to You, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing the praises of Your Name, O Most High!" The Lord has performed many wonderful deeds in 2021 and He will do so in 2022. Be expectant. Let's take a look at how the Lord has outlined how we are to run/live in 2022. THE RACE OF LIFE "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of faith." Hebrews 12:1-2a Little did I know that as a young junior high school boy praying to God for direction in life that He would lead me ultimately to the “race of life.” I simply wanted to make a sports team and make some friends. As a high school sophomore, I signed up for cross country. However, that is not where the race of life began for me. The race of life began when I became a Christian and began developing a relationship with Jesus Christ. I was IN the church all my life, however, I was not "OF" Christ. On May 18, 1972, my wife, Anne and I got down to business. I realized I had signed up for the race of life when I became a Christian and discovered that God had a race planned out uniquely for me. This race has some similarities to running physically. For example, you are not racing against someone in the race of life, this race is just for you. It is not a timed event nor is the length of the race revealed prior to the start. This race lasts a lifetime. Both the spiritual and physical races require perseverance. Perseverance is sticking with a task or individual despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. One race is for self glory, the other is for eternal glory. One race is for medals, letter jackets and awards. It promotes self glory, ego is run against others, is timed and is often run alone. The life's race develops humility, interest in helping others, lasts a lifetime and is run with Someone (not against). That Someone is Jesus who is one step ahead of you showing you the way. This race will be challenging as well as rewarding. This race will develop Christlike character such as spiritual faithfulness, self control, patience, goodness, gentleness, joy, kindness, peace and love. In this race you will stumble and falter. But you have Someone, Jesus, who will pick you up, not condemning you, but encouraging you and giving you wisdom for your individual journey.  Which race will you choose? I loved running. It gave me wonderful honors and success. World records, 7 covers of Sports Illustrated, an Olympic Silver Medal, ESPN's High School Athlete of the Century, even a letter jacket! However, after all those wonderful successes, I was empty. Life was all about me. There was always a thirsting for more. On May 18, 1972, when Anne and I truly became Christians, I realized for the first time that all those marvelous earthly rewards couldn't earn God’s love. Struggling and striving for acceptance only left me more empty. On that night of accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and giving Him control of my life, I learned He freely gives His love. I didn’t have to earn it. World records, medals hanging on my letter jacket couldn't earn something that was free. At that moment, I began the race of life. I changed coaches from my wonderful high school and college coach Bob Timmons, (who had put up with a lot of my complaining), to Jesus Christ who became the author and perfector of my faith. That faith would give me the courage to offer a homeless person a free meal, that faith would give me the conviction to humble myself and ask forgiveness from my wife and others. This new found relationship with Jesus Christ would get me off the pedestal of serving self and begin teaching me to love and serve others.  This race of life requires perseverance, endurance, trials, tribulations and challenges, much of which I learned in physical running for self glory. The race I now run has a finish line as well but I’m not there yet. That comes at death when I will be greeted by Jesus with the words, "Well done, My good and faithful servant, enter into your rest."  As we celebrate the "Greatest Rescue Story" of how God sent His Son down to earth to save us from our sin, my prayer is that you will be blessed with a new birth of His love, joy and peace in your hearts!

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Author: Emily Stillwell- I ran XC and track for Oklahoma Baptist University. I am a special education teacher in North Carolina and serve in the youth group alongside my husband, Chancellor who is the student pastor at the Church at Clayton Crossings. I attended JRRC 3 years as a Camper and for 3 years served on the Staff of JRRC. Latest book recommendation: “None Like Him” by Jen Wilkin Fav worship song: “Promises” by Maverick City  Random fun fact: I was a part of the World Record for the loudest sports stadium of all time in 2014 at Arrowhead Stadium against the Patriots. (Go Chiefs!) Fav podcast: "Knowing Faith" Social: Facebook- Emily Stillwell

Where do you find a turkey with no legs? ... exactly where you left it. Now that I’ve gotten your attention with an obnoxious dad joke, happy November and happy month of Thankfulness! While Thanksgiving is an American holiday and isn’t specifically a Christian holiday like Christmas or Easter, it might as well be with how much God’s word says about being thankful.  The Psalms and the New Testament are packed with praises of thanksgiving by David and urgings to be thankful by other writers as well.  Psalm 92:1-2 "It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare and Your steadfast love in the morning, and Your faithfulness by night.” Hebrews 13:15-16 “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise- the fruit of lips that openly profess His name…” While a lot of social media posts and the classic “go around the dinner table and say what you’re thankful for” conversations typically center around our belongings and our family members, these verses mention none of those things.  Instead, they are all centered around one specific thing, and more appropriately, one person: the name of the Lord. Telling our friends we’re thankful for them and being grateful for our food/car/house/running ability, etc. isn’t bad or sinful. However, it is necessary to remember that our thankfulness must be directed at the One who created and gave us all of those things. God wants us to enjoy His creation, but not as much as He wants us to enjoy Him, the Creator.  That means not just being thankful for what He has done for us, but being thankful for who He is. It’s easy to thank Him for what He has done. Besides things and relationships, He gave us the greatest gift of all by sending His Son. It’s natural to thank Him for these things and we should!  But thanking Him for who He is rather than what He has done means recognizing and worshipping His character.  He is love (1 John 4:16).  He is worthy (Rev. 4:11).  He is gentle and lowly (Matthew 11:29).  He is mighty and powerful (Jer. 32:17).  He has made Himself known (Rom. 1:19), yet He is incomprehensible (Psalm 147:5).  Acknowledging these qualities and thanking Him for them puts us in our place as His creation. It leaves us in awe of Him, reminding us of where our identity lies.  This year, like 2020, is another year of adjusting to a “new normal” when it might not be as easy and natural to find things to praise God for. We oftentimes acknowledge that we’re #blessed when things are going exactly the way we prayed, but do we say that when that XC race or relationship didn’t end the way we hoped, or when something happens that sends our life in a direction we didn’t plan for? Is it possible to still be #blessed in those seasons?  One of my favorite stories in the book of Acts is a prime example of continuing to praise when things haven’t gone as planned. Silas and Paul have been arrested. Despite being stripped, flogged and chained in a jail cell, they “were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25).  Not only did they keep their heads up and not dwell in self-pity, they continued to praise God and waited in anticipation for God to move. Their posture of worship and trust during this time led to not only their own freedom, but to the salvation of the jailer and his whole household. I’m sure you can think of a time in your life, or maybe you’re in one right now, when things are not going as you hoped or planned. One of these times for me happened my senior year of college when I found out my collegiate career was over due to a hip impingement. I was in peak shape and naturally frustrated why this was happening.  Obviously, it was challenging being on the sidelines, but I found a lot of joy in serving on the team by timing during practices, helping write workouts and working at meets. I was able to build relationships with girls on the team I hadn’t gotten to know before and encourage my teammates in a different way than when I was running alongside them.  I learned to be thankful for the other things that I was able to enjoy during my senior year while not competing: more sleep, fully enjoying the cafeteria, spending last moments with my friends, finishing strong academically while looking forward to graduation as well as planning our wedding that summer!  God had other things for me that year than qualifying for Nationals or setting a new PR. I know many of you can relate as you’ve most likely had a season and part of a school year stripped away because of covid. It would have been easy to become angry or bitter that those opportunities were taken away from me, but fully embracing and being thankful for everything that I was still able to do allowed me to have one of my favorite years of college.  The “valleys” are not the only places people can forget to sing praises to their Creator. Even when things are “going well” for us, we somehow find a way to compare our situation to the person next door (or in our social media feed) and fail to give thanks to our Lord Jesus.  In a world that has more wealth and less poverty than ever before, this Theodore Roosevelt quote seems more relevant than ever. “Comparison is the thief of all joy.”  We each hold in our hand a tool (and perhaps you’re using it right now to read this) that for the first time allows us to peek into anyone’s life we want, at least the part they want us to see and can filter. For the first time, we can measure and compare popularity through likes and followers.  Cutting out more social media has brought a lot of joy and time back into my life! I don’t have Instagram, I only use Facebook on my computer to prevent mindless scrolling throughout the day, and I have time limits set on many other apps such as Snapchat and TikTok. I’ve started using an old fashioned alarm clock and charging my phone outside of our bedroom so that it’s no longer how I start and end my day. When I’m having my quiet time, I leave my cell in another room. When you’re stuck at a red light or waiting for a few minutes in line at the store, rather than impulsively reaching for your phone to fill the seconds, say a prayer of thankfulness and just check in with your Father. He wants to hear from you! While working with youth at church, it is amazing to hear that their phone screen time is 14 hours or more a day, including 6+ hours on a specific social media. When we constantly see how much fun everyone else is having, see how beautiful their boyfriend/girlfriend/family is, or how nice their things are, it’s no wonder that we immediately compare ourselves and think of what we’re missing.  This Thanksgiving season, taking a few simple steps like the ones I have mentioned,  turning social media notifications off, and setting downtime on your phone each evening, will allow you to be present with the people you’re with and focus on the blessings God has given you- rather than what you’re missing out on. Hang up and hang out! It’s exciting to consider what focusing on God’s gifts, praising Him for who He is, and being present with those around us will do for our anxiety, mental health, relationships with others, and best of all, our relationship with our Creator!

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Author: Anna Tankersley Latest book recommendation: "Abba’s Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging" by Brennan Manning Fav workout song: "Ain’t No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell Random fun fact: I will eat all your Oreos. Hands down. Fav podcast: Spirit Life TALKS Social: @annatankersley99 (instagram)

I love running. Full transparency here, I’ve never been able to say that from my heart. Running was just the expectation for me. All my siblings had excelled in it, and I followed right along that path. While it started out innocently, running became my identity, which is true for a lot of us. It took a bit of time, pain and brokenness to recognize what it had become, which led to a journey of unraveling how I perceived myself in light of performance. I began cross country in 7th grade and splashed into this exciting world of PR’s, attention, and accomplishment. It feels pretty good to be fast, and naturally, people are attracted to talent, so I had that security of being well liked and acknowledged. I don’t mean to trash the people we encounter along the journey of running, or question their motives. God has allowed some of my deepest friendships to form from cross country, and I’ve seen Him do beautiful things through it. What I’m talking about is the attention, praise, and maybe even love we might receive when we’re pretty good at something. A lot of times we give and receive these things without realizing what we’re doing. I did it for a long time. What God began to show me is that this perspective of talent and how I viewed myself wasn’t actually the true perspective. I consider Psalm 16:11 my life verse. In this chapter, David talks about his need for the Lord, and how there is absolutely nothing good in him apart from Jesus. That was difficult for me to wrap my mind around because for most of my life, I thought I was so good. I did everything right as best as I could, checking all the Christian boxes that could be checked. Pride, legalism, and performance were huge parts of my story, and while the Lord had opened my eyes to this when I became saved, I still was working through these things. God is so kind and gracious to continue working with us as we untangle from the heavy chains we walk in before we come to know Him. But it’s a process for sure. Verse 11 says, “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” The phrase that snagged my heart was fullness of joy. I desired that deeply because lately running had taken a wrong turn. I couldn’t run the same times I had run before. My mentality was an absolute wreck and I would fall apart in races whenever the pain got deep. While I knew my identity wasn’t in running and that God loved me, it was still difficult to not feel like a failure or that somehow I wasn’t as valuable. Yet, the Holy Spirit began something new in my heart as I felt these things so deeply. Perhaps I wasn’t meant to find fullness of joy and satisfaction in running. Or a relationship. Or lots of money. Or popularity and affirmation. Maybe, like David was saying, I could experience a depth in my relationship with the Lord that my joy would be so full and spilling over. That sounded incredible especially when I had felt depressed, lonely, discouraged, and inadequate for so long. Did you know God values our honesty and vulnerability before Him? That’s what the majority of the Psalms are: honest, heartbroken conversations with the Lord. David definitely didn't skimp out on acknowledging and processing the turmoil of emotions he felt. I love that he knew he was safe bringing the ugly, anxious stuff to the Lord because he trusted God’s love for him. So that became my prayer. I was really honest with the Lord that I was hurting, sad and confused. I knew I was finding identity in things around me, and it wasn’t meant to be that way. Even though it didn’t feel like it immediately, I chose to trust those words - that it was only in His presence I could experience this kind of joy and be satisfied. Fast forward to my college years of running. So many highs and lows! Lots of encouraging and beautiful moments, but also plenty of tears, discouragement, and frustration. But I was more centered this time because God had been teaching me what it meant to walk with Him in the good and bad times. That even when things fell apart and my hopes got crushed, He still loved me and that was never going to change. My joy didn’t have to be touched by circumstances. My identity didn’t have to rest in how I performed as an athlete. I was so loved, loved by a Father who wouldn’t stop loving me on my worst days, yet wouldn’t love me any more on my best days. His love isn’t conditional, which is hard for us to comprehend when we live in a world that sees love as something to be earned. Now I’m on the tail end of this journey. I’m finishing my last season of collegiate running, and dang, it’s been incredible. God still wanted to teach me more about the perspective I had toward running. I didn’t love it, remember? But He helped me realize that as much as my identity wasn’t in running, He still cared about it. He wanted to be involved in this important part of my life. So I started praying intentionally for each practice. That I could see the hot, sweaty workouts as an opportunity to use the gift He gave me. That I could see my teammates as Jesus saw them: loved, unique, and expressions of God. I asked Him to bless conversations during work-outs. I was blown away by His response. The Lord absolutely changed my perspective of running and I had such joy in my heart. As I began praising Him in the day to day things, He opened my eyes to the opportunity in this specific season of my life. He gave me a deeper heart for my teammates, and my focus was more on rejoicing in their growth rather than seeing their success as my failure. I didn’t have to strive to be the best anymore. Instead, I could be the best Anna Tankersley that He had in store for me, and see my teammates become the best individuals they were meant to be. I’m learning it’s about the process rather than the outcome. In running, that’s the relationships and lessons we learn along the way, rather than the title or PR. In my walk with Jesus, it’s about leaning more into His love and sharing that love with others. I’m almost done with this season, but there will always be something else that screams for my attention. Something else in which I’ll want to find security, joy, and value. That’s just how life goes. We have a part of our soul meant to be filled by God, but we try to replace it with other things. I just pray you will allow Jesus into your life because He wants to walk the journey with you. And if you do know Him, I hope you’re encouraged to press in more deeply and continue to surrender your whole heart to Him. You are significant to Him, and He cares about the little and big things. It’s all part of the journey.

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Author: Nathan Nohr Latest book recommendation: "Eternity in Their Hearts" by Don Richardson Song Recommendation: "Known and Loved" by Joel Ansett Random fun fact: My favorite race day snack is pretzels Social:  @nathan.nohr

One big takeaway from the Jim Ryun Running Camp is always Jim’s talk on goal setting. Many of us are able to set goals and create a plan to achieve them, but we may face problems sticking with those plans. I have struggled the last few years to achieve the goals I set. Often feeling stuck in self-inflicted cycles. I would be aware of what needed to change but seemingly unable to follow through. Paul words the situation well in Romans,  "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do."  Romans 7:15 Many of us are our own worst enemies when it comes to achieving goals. I personally got addicted to my phone as a coping mechanism for a frustrating job and stressful relationship. I would waste time and miss out on sleep scrolling through social media every day. I would miss workouts, time with friends and time with God. Step 1 towards overcoming this self sabotage is to identify and admit that it is a problem. Often this is fairly obvious. Once I was able to identify that I was using my phone as a coping mechanism, I started attempting to change that behavior. It is critical not to be complacent after identifying the problem. Complacency can happen in one of three ways. #1 Blame: blaming other things for your problem. I tended to say my classes weren’t interesting or my job was boring to justify constantly going to my phone. #2 Denial: I would deny that my phone was even an issue thinking that I would stop using it as much once I started school or when I had more responsibilities. #3 Guilt trapped: after trying and failing to change, people can come to believe it is impossible to change, maybe even taking on the flaw as a title. It is necessary to recognize that we all have the capacity to change, and that we are responsible for pursuing that painful change. As Paul puts it, “ . . . let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. . . “ Hebrews 12:1 Once you have identified a stumbling block, you must take the problem seriously. Oftentimes, whatever needs to be removed has some good attributes that make it hard to give up.  Step 2 is to make a plan for change.  My first plans were usually just a mental scolding that tomorrow I needed to focus more. That never worked for me. Here is a helpful guideline for changing bad habits. "We know that a habit cannot be eradicated—it must, instead, be replaced. And we know that habits are most malleable when the Golden Rule of habit change is applied: If we keep the same cue and the same reward, a new routine can be inserted. But that’s not enough. For a habit to stay changed, people must believe change is possible. And most often, that belief only emerges with the help of a group." -Charles Duhigg, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business There are a lot of things at play here but my most successful plans involved complete removal of the tempting situation. I completely deleted social media from my phone and changed the settings so I couldn’t download apps. When I felt tempted to pick up my phone, I would do push ups and at night I would read and journal instead. Do not underestimate the benefit of fellowship, like Duhigg said, the help of a group is often needed. I would point out here that I have found wisdom in meeting with a small group of fellow male believers. This way I make myself accountable to those who share the same love for the Lord in desiring to please our Father God. Step 3 is perseverance. Change doesn’t come all at once. God is patient and loving. He offers forgiveness, strength and truth to those who ask for it. The following verses I find encouragement from when I am struggling to find motivation are the following: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will."  Romans 12:1-2 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1-3 May you find courage and strength to pursue God’s purpose for your life!

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Author: Christian Brewer Latest book recommendation: A Creative Minority: Jon Tyson Fav workout song: Indiana Sky: Josh Garrels Random fun fact: The first sport I learned as a child was Cricket Fav podcast: The Letsrun.com Podcast Social: christian_brewer1990

As I step away from another incredible week of the Jim Ryun Running Camp, I am reminded of the uniqueness of each and everyone of our Campers. Oftentimes during the week of Camp, as well as the weeks following, I will sit and ponder on the future paths of certain individual Campers. The teenage years can bring lots of anxiety and doubt when it comes to the decisions made about the future. Not only are we deciding how we want to spend our time and efforts, but oftentimes we wrestle about our identity. Who do I want to be? How do I want others to see me? Let’s be honest; we live in a world where the vast majority of people care deeply what others think of them. It might be as small as the shoes you wear or as big as the career you choose to pursue. As I sit here and write, I think about the journey I’ve traveled. Don’t mix up my words, I am very far from wise and still have much to learn. However, I do feel that at 30 years old, married to the perfect person for me, in a career I love, I wish I could have sat down and had a conversation with my 18 year old self. Here are a few things I would have told him. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man?   Galatians 1:10 If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. When you live to impress your fellow man, and then actually do it, there is always a temporary happiness… before you realize it, it fades away just like literally anything else of this world. My favorite thing about Jim & Anne Ryun (And I say Anne as well  because she made possible much of what Jim accomplished) is not what he accomplished on the track. Surely you know, he was a world record holder and the first high school boy to break the 4 minute mile. But did you know he was voted as America’s greatest High School athlete, over the likes of LeBron James & Tiger Woods? Jim also served the United States and more specifically the state of Kansas for 11 years as a Congressman. With all these achievements, you’d have thought fame & the ability to make a fortune would have been something the Ryuns were interested in. Nope. If you’ve been at Camp or spent time with them you’d know they serve the Lord alone. They really do their best to live out the teachings of Jesus. I love reading the stories of Jesus because it reminds me how He lived what He commanded. Jesus had every right and ability to live the life of a king, the life He actually deserved. Rather, what we see of Jesus is a man who wandered with no palace or platter. He spent time with the wealthy, the poor, the broken, the sick, the children. It didn’t matter. He washed the feet of the disciples. Yes, they were nasty. Jesus knew that His life on earth was temporary. He had a far superior Kingdom in mind. The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Job 33:4  What an earth shattering statement. If you read the story of Job, you’ll see just how sweet these words truly are. I think the same can be said for myself when I am discouraged about my place in this world. What is my purpose? Where can I feel of value? Whether you are worried about the college you choose not being prestigious enough or your 5K personal best not being fast enough, remember Job’s words above. Additionally, you are created uniquely to be… YOU. So embrace that. Keep praying & digging to find the best fit for you. Whether that’s your boyfriend, girlfriend, college, job, car, clothes just remember that you aren’t created by this world and you don’t need to live like you are! (Romans 12:2). Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you—you of little faith. Matthew 6:26-30 Someone once told me, if something worries you, stop and pray about that thing. The Lord has continually been faithful in my life. I have a tendency to want to control how scenarios in my life play out. When you train as a runner, you show up and do what your coach asks to be done, but you can’t completely control the outcome. You run and then you do things in addition to running. You spend time stretching, strengthening, healthy eating, sleeping and wonder whether it’s going to pay off. Guess what? It usually does! Running prepared me to handle many stresses in life, one of those being a real estate agent. The great thing about being a real estate agent is that there is no possible way of controlling and predicting the outcome! Just one of the many reasons I love the job. It requires complete focus on doing the task at hand with excellence and then leaving the rest to the Lord to take care of. I think that goes with many scenarios in life whether it be our running, our relationships, our finances, or our jobs. There are very few things we can control. Those we can control should be controlled with excellence! However, there is much that we don’t have control over. We have laid down our cross and followed Jesus! I have heard it said; it’s one thing to believe in God, it’s another to trust Him with your life! To close, I want to challenge you to practice 3 things as you head back to school this Fall. Maybe you are starting as a Freshman, whether it be High School or College, and you worry what it holds. You might be a Senior in High School with all the confidence in the world (so you think). Either way, stop. Take some time to meditate on the scripture above along with these 3 lessons: -You have no one to prove anything to. Christ already loves you and has called you to serve Him & Him alone -You are made by the Spirit and you are created uniquely to be no one but yourself. -Worrying will make your life that much more difficult. Focus on the task at hand and entrust your life to the Lord.

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