I went to Walmart to get a head start of some of the items we’d need in bulk for the Appalachian Trail Outreach. Made my way to the register. The line wasn’t very long. The cashier, whose name is Sondra (correct spelling), looked at the tax exemption card and said “BENCHMARK Adventure Min….” I didn’t think she could read the [...]
Time is money…so some say. No. It is not. If I have all the money in the world, I can’t purchase any more time. For those whose time is calculated in billable hours, there is a monetary connection to your use of time, but time is still not money. The commodities are very different. In college, I wasted time. I [...]
These days are pretty unusual. Our schedules and daily demands are changing. For some, they have increased. For others, it’s slowed way down. Either way, today is a good day to make a choice about how to make the most of the opportunity of a ‘day’... I want to ask you to do something [...]
Will you take 11 minutes this Good Friday to reflect on Him? Will you plan to spend 11 minutes tomorrow on this Good Friday Reflection?: 1. Use 3 minutes to consider the significance of someone who is willing to lay down his or her life for you. Think about a parent, a first responder, a Soldier, even a [...]
2018 marked the 25th year of BENCHMARK Adventure Ministries. If there's one thing I've learned after 25 years, it's that opportunities to serve affect both staff and participants alike. Mike Gingras, a 3-year ministry event staff volunteer, and our current Board Chair, was impacted as much as he made an impact in 2018. In early September Mike traveled to [...]
I find myself a little overwhelmed. March 15, 1993 'it' began. When 'it' started, 'it' didn't have a name. Over the next year a name was determined, corporation papers submitted, excess medical coverage for participants obtained, nonprofit status applied for and gained. Why is BENCHMARK called BENCHMARK Adventure Ministries? It's not because I think we're the benchmark standard. Learn about [...]
December is time for personal evaluation. January is for fresh implementation. I'm not much for New Year's resolutions. I prefer regular evaluation and direction correction. January started well with a renewed commitment to personal, spiritual journaling. I began training as scheduled on December 26 for my 19th 26.2-mile marathon and that continued. Though I've been reading Philippians for years, I [...]
Recently in a church related round table discussion we were asked to share our favorite Christmas tradition. Most around the table were much more thoughtful than I. I had my mind on the purpose of the informational meeting and those people sitting at my table. And...not much further. I don't always think well on my feet. I gave some yammering, lame [...]
For those who may not know, a BENCHMARK champion collapsed from a heart attack on February 15 while on training run for his first United States Marathon. First of all, for those on BENCHMARK's Prayer Team who have been praying..thank you. Really, thank you. I've been slow to send this update becasue, 1. I've been trying to catch up on [...]
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. [...]
