Expect Great Things from God, Attempt Great Things for God

This morning, old-buddy-old-pal Jeff calls me over to his desk. What was your last half marathon time? he asks. 2:20, I reply. Tell you what, says he, I'll pledge $1 per mile for your next race. But if you can hit 2:10, I'll up it to $5 per mile. Gulp, says I. That's a 9:55 pace. Yes, there are runners who could crab-walk that fast. But for me - well - let's just say that the finish line picture won't be too flattering.

Later that day, Brady Murray - Iron Man and founder of RODS Racing - sends me this email:

I'll match that pledge.  $1 for every mile, if you go break 2:10, I'll make it $5 / mile.  You'd be amazed at what you can do when racing for a cause!  Start easy, work into it and then finish strong!  You got this! 

Racing for a cause. I thought about that tonight as I ran 4 miles on a hilly course at a 9:30 pace. God didn't adopt me into His family so that I could curl up on the couch. He's given me the privilege and responsibility to get up and attempt great things. Great things for His glory. Great things like bringing two young people out of an orphanage and into a home. And if that means I've got to break out of my comfortable pace, that's OK  I'm expecting great things from God.

And by the way, if you'd like to join in on this challenge you can sign up here. You can also learn more about  Ana and Tim and help them out directly by visiting the our adoption blog.

Richmond Half Marathon: A Race to Bring Two Orphans Home

A Russian orphanage is the only home that Ana (10 years old) and Tim (12 years old) have ever known. For children in their situation, aging out of institutional life can be disastrous. Many end up ill and on the street. 

Our family has just embarked on the exciting, frightening and faith building path of bringing Ana and Tim out of the orphanage and into our home. If we're successful, Ana and Tim will have a family, access to quality medical care, and the chance for a healthy, productive life. It's a massive undertaking, and I'm writing to ask for your help. 

Here's a little background: 

Our journey started with Reece’s Rainbow. This ministry helps to fund the very costly process of international adoptions. My wife and youngest daughter were introduced to the RR website by a friend and they quickly sensed that God was calling our family to the ministry of adoption. For me, that conviction was longer in taking root. But the Lord soon put Ana and Tim on his heart as well. 

As we began to explore the Reece’s Rainbow site, our eyes were opened to the plight of older children in foreign orphanages. For many, aging out of an orphanage is a disaster. With no family or social services to fall back on, many of these children will find themselves on the street, involved in drugs and prostitution. A tragic number resort to suicide. 

 How you can help Ana and Tim: 

On November 10, I'l be running in the Richmond Half Marathon. I'm asking for you to help by becoming a sponsor. It's a 13.1 mile run. If folks like you could contribute $1.00 per mile - $13.10 - it would go a long way towards bringing Ana and Tim home. Of course, anything you can contribute will help and will be greatly appreciated by these young people. 

 All donations can be made through Reece's Rainbow. Reece's is a registered 501(c)3 corporation that provides grants for those seeking to adopt children with special medical needs. To date, they have disbursed over $4,000,000 in adoption grants. To sign up as a sponsor, just follow this link: Ana and Tim - Richmond Half Marathon. Once you've committed, you'll receive a post-race email letting you know how many miles I've completed (13.1 at the most) and reminding you to go online and make a donation to Reece's Rainbow towards Ana and Tim's adoption. 

Of course, you can donate through the Reece's' Rainbow site, and learn more about Ana and Tim here. I also invite you to keep up with our journey - and the half marathon results - through our blog, www.DeutschFamilyAdoption.com. Most of all, we'd ask you to pray.When all is said and done, we're trusting God to move mountains for Ana and Tim and bring them home.

Iron Angels

Back in 1977, a guy named John Collins had the idea to combine three of Hawaii's most brutal endurance races into one event. He took the 2.4 mile Waikiki Roughwater Swim, 112 miles of the Around O'ahu Bike Race and the full Honolulu Marathon and created the "Hawaiian Iron Man Triathalon." The original 15 competitors were handed an instruction sheet that ended, "Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of your life!"

Today, that race is held on the blistering lava fields of Kona on the Big Island of Hawai'i.

Last Saturday, Brady Murray of RODS Racing conquered Kona's heat, distance and cross-winds in 10 hours, 51 minutes and 32 seconds. And he was racing for a lot more than just bragging rights. Brady is the founder of RODS Racing, which stands for Racing for Orphans with Down Syndrome.

Each year RODS athletes focus on one Down Syndrome child and raise money towards his or her adoption.

Here is the RODS Racing Story, as told on their web site:

With the motivation of knowing that hundreds of orphans with Down syndrome were waiting for a family to find them, Racing for Orphans with Down Syndrome was launched. Our purpose is to create awareness for these special children and raise funding that will go towards making what seemed like a distant dream of having a family of their own become a reality, one child at a time. 

 The seed for RODS Racing was planted in 2007 when founder Brady Murray had his newborn son placed in his arms. The doctors told him that his son has Down syndrome. What seemed like an overwhelming challenge has evolved into one of Brady’s biggest blessings. Brady’s son Nash has been the inspiration behind the creation of RODS Racing. The unconditional love that Nash shows to all and the desire to help these precious children is truly the driving force behind RODS Racing.

At the end of  the Iron Man, Rob Wright of myList handed Brady a check for $10,000. The funds will go to the Reeces Rainbow Adoption Ministry as a grant towards the adoption a Down Syndrome girl named Maggie.

An international adoption can cost upwards of $30,000. For families who long to open their hearts to a girl like Maggie, that burden can be as formidable than any triathlon. So thank you, Brady, Rob, and Reece's Rainbow for stepping up to the challenge!