A Short Walk . . .

Several people are walking or planning to walk from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
So I'm excited.
How far have you gone?
Did anybody take a walk today? I'll confess that I didn't do much more than get the dogs around the block. I figure I went 4 miles the first day, and only 1 mile the next. And today? Friday is the deadline day for articles to the local weeklies, and I wanted to get a follow up about Trick or Treat for Cans, and a piece announcing "Walking to Bethlehem" to the editor's desk before noon. So the pre-breakfast time was spent at the computer.
(Lucky me, I took my pitiful copy to Jim Evans last night and he rewrote the "Walking" article for me.)
After hitting the "send" button, I hopped in the car to get Caleb to school and to round up sporting supplies and food for the afternoon.
Along the way I took a solemn vow NEVER to set foot in the WalMart on 130 again. Here's what happened:
I was looking for pingpong paddles and balls (they seem to disappear, like socks in the dryer, in our church basement). Sporting goods is WAY in the back. I finally found the aisle that was clearly marked "Table Tennis" - but it was all golf. Golf balls, golf towels, golf tees . . . Golf. There's a woman in a walmart shirt standing there.
"Ping Pong?" I say.
"What?"
"Where are the ping-pong paddles?"
"Pang Pong?"
"The sign says this is the aisle for table tennis. Ping pong? But I don't see any ping pong stuff." "Oh. I'll ask."
A few minutes later she and an older, more authoritative looking person returned. "What is it you are looking for?" So I explained it again. Finally, the older person understood.
"Oh," he said, "We zeroed those out and cleared them."
Now it was my turn to be confused. "You did what with them?"
"We don't carry them anymore."
"Walmart? And you don't have pingpong paddles? What kind of a place is this? Last month I went to the craft department and they didn't have any clay. What is going on here? Are you closing the store? Is the Walton legacy dead? I can't believe this!!"
The younger woman attempted to slip away. I heard her whisper, "I'll call the manager."
But she didn't fool me. I knew it was Security she was calling, and I trotted toward the doors, hissing over my shoulder as I went, "I don't have time to talk now. You tell the manager for me I'm never come into the store again as long as I live! Have a good day." (Isn't that a pretty picture of a spiritual leader? HA.)
I know that the Apostle Paul was arrested for disturbing the peace, but I have no intention of visiting the slammer because of Walmart.
Once noon hit, I had several (8 at most times, 10 at other times) 5th -7th graders at church for "Early Out" fun. Today I'd like to give myself a mile or two credit for playing kickball, but I'll resist the temptation. (It was a good game, though, and certainly got my heart in the "target range"! but . . . oh well)
So, I think that tomorrow I'm going to try to set up a specific, dedicated "Walking to Bethlehem" blog. The newspaper article is inviting community members to participate, and I don't want to quit writing about church/life stuff here, (and I certainly wouldn't want anyone who didn't know me to read anything that might make them think I can be impatient and petty sometimes, like for instance my Walmart adventure.) So I hope I can link the two sites, but I think one ought to be purely travelogue.
What I have in mind is a little account of what the trip would have been like in Mary and Joseph's time, and what is going on along that same route now. It's an interesting country or two over there! And, of course, I want to include plenty of fitness facts.
Tell me if you have any other ideas for the program.
See you down the road! (But not in the Urbana Walmart!!)

First Leg of the Trip

OK, everybody! I'm walking to Bethlehem. Yesterday I walked for 1 hr- so I'm calling that 4 miles. And it was fun. I went over to church and walked 15 minutes before breakfast. Then I went to walk with the ladies at the Philo Gym from 8:30 to 9. Then I walked to the Post Office, back home, and to Zion and St. Thomas to deliver flyers for the CUPS Thanksgiving service.
Easy squeezy.
We're going to have to write an Advent hymn called Walking to Bethlehem. See if you can come up with some verses as you "journey" toward Christmas.
But you know the "Walker's Hymn", don't you?
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for thee.
Those lines (from "Take My Life and Let It Be" #379 in your hymnbook) never fail to bring a smile to my face. The thought of offering God feet . . .

Walking to Bethlehem

Don't you just HATE it when people rush the Christmas season? Kohl's has already had a holiday themed sale, and it's "beginning to look alot like Christmas" in several retail establishments. No singing, please!
Well, I don't want to rush things, but . . . I have this great idea that's sort of Christmas-y and I just can't wait to get started:
It's called "Walking to Bethlehem" and it's a group walking/fitness program. The challenge is to "walk" from Nazareth to Bethlehem, like Mary and Joseph did. Everybody keeps track of their own miles, (or their other fitness activity minutes) and we chart 'em and encourage each other. The reason I'm so anxious to start is because it is 70 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Advent might not give me enough time to make it.) And I want to get a jump on Mary and Joseph so I can be there when they arrive!
So are you with me? Jim Evans suggested that if enough people were interested, we could not only have Mary and Joseph (and the donkey! don't forget the donkey!) miles, but also have shepherd miles, wise men miles, innkeeper miles, etc.

Here's what we'll do:
I'll post a little milepost thought or devotion or picture every day. And everyday you log your progress in the comments section. As we get farther down the road, we'll have reports in the bulletin, etc. I can't wait.

See you on the road.
-C