Marathon for Ireland Mission Trip

Well folks, the 5th annual Lost Dutchman Marathon is a week from tomorrow. At 7 am on Sunday February 19th I will be embarking on a 26.2 mile run. I have run two of them in the past and I can tell you one thing from experience, it hurts! Especially the 2 days afterwards. The first marathon I ran and finished in 5 hours and 50 minutes. The second one I finished in 5 hours and 30 minutes. My goal for the 19th is to finish right at 5 hours. Meaning I am hoping to be limping across the finish line around noon. If you care to come out and cheer me on there is a map of the course in the link provided below.

http://www.lostdutchmanmarathon.org/opening.htm

A lot of folks run for different charities. I want this marathon to mean something so I am dedicating this race to the folks that have to raise the most money and that is definitely the folks from our church that are going on the Ireland Mission Trip.

What I am asking is for people to sponsor me. If you wish to help support these folks from our church that are going to Ireland you may write a check out to Vineyard Community Church in the amount you wish to donate. Your donation is tax deductible. Please specify in the memo of the check or enclose a note that this is a donation for the Ireland Mission Trip. The money will be divided up equally between the folks that are going. The address to the church is:
Vineyard Community Church
601 S. Cooper Road
Gilbert, AZ 85233

I will also be sitting out in the foyer of the church tomorrow morning before all 3 services asking for folks to sponsor me. If you cannot sponsor me, I ask that you pray for me while I am running this race, that I will remain injury free, and that I will recover quickly in the days following it. I did take the week off from work as I know from prior experience I will need it. Please also keep the kids and adults that are going on this mission trip in prayer, that they will be able to raise the funds to do so and that they will serve and represent the Kingdom of God in their service and actions.

Phillipians 3:12-14 says
I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting what is in the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us to up in heaven.