Take a walk out your front door

I would have to say that the single best thing I've done with my life in the last year is walking around my neighborhood almost every day for about an hour. The one hitch is you have to get going about 6:45am so you can slip out before the kids wake up and it's not 128 degrees yet. I've been able to cancel my gym membership ($27 a month) because God has created an amazing treadmill that just so happens to be wherever I walk. I don't know why it took me so long to realize that! I don't pay for Weight Watcher meetings ($14 a month) anymore because if I can stay disciplined in walking I'm not gonna get fat again. Plus I get to walk under the amazing acorn trees that we have in my neighborhood. I get to hang out with God, Rob Bell, Mike Erre, my buddy Nate and occasionally U2. I get to pray for my wife and kids and neighborhood, friends and world. I get to wave to everyone in my neighborhood. I've built a relationship with this really cool homeless couple (Michael and Michelle) that sleep in between the tables at Shamel Park. I bought Michael a battery for his cell phone last week and now he is able to get calls from his lawyer about his disability case. This morning I ran into this guy named Steven...he's about my age and he has this huge garden in his front yard. I told him I wanted to turn into a farmer and he told me about his onions, pickled cucumbers, tomato's, grapes, raspberries, blueberries, pumpkins, potato's, and squash. He was really cool. Then as I'm walking back to my house I stop to talk to my next door neighbor Isaac. He has a wife (Linda) and 5 kids (Holly, Sharlet, Gracie, Jack and Jacob). He saw my article in the paper and wanted to talk to me about being a pastor. He has a big catholic family that is trying to "convert" him. Those are the words he used. Great morning, great walk, great conversations! Get outside and walk...it will change your life!