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The Bald Eagle

March 6, 2012 by Tim Barr

I called and spoke to my mom this morning. I told her that on the drive into town two days ago we saw a bald eagle fly over our car. It was the first time I had ever seen a bald eagle in the wild and it was one of the coolest things to see on the drive in. She went on to tell me a story about this last fall when she also saw a bald eagle fly over her house one afternoon. She has been battling Leukemia for a while now and she was having a really bad day when the eagle flew over.

God brought the following verse to her mind:

Isaiah 40:31
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

She told me that she knew at that point she knew it would all be OK.

My eagle sighting gave my mom chills, her story gave me chills, and God’s way of talking to us brings us all chills. God was telling us it would all be OK. We need to continue to have faith that this will all work out.

Micah Lee Barr was born on March 2nd. God answered our lifelong prayer this last week. Not always the way you think God would answer a prayer, but looking back I see His plan.

It will all be OK. I thank each of my readers for your prayers.

Tim

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For full journal head to: http://TimBarr.blogspot.com

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Posted in Beauty, Change, Grace, Life, Patience, Story | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

Seconds…

February 27, 2012 by Tim Barr

The second-hand on the clock ticks by moment by moment. Sometimes those seconds seem to slowly count down my earthly existence. Other times I find myself wishing that the second-hand would move faster and bring that amazing moment to my door that I have so eagerly been anticipating. And yet other times the second-hand seems to sit still. Frozen in time like a polar bear gazing through a thick block of ice.

Tick…tick…tick….

I know the time is near and the hours are getting short. Life is about to change. The world is about to open its arms to show us what is behind the veil. Am I ready?

I feel ready. I am ready for the unknown future that awaits. I am ready for the new memories that will be etched upon my brain. I’m ready for the sleepless nights and the riches that come through seeing the world through a new set of eyes. I am ready Lord.

I pray that You bring me strength and continue to bless each second. Bless the fast ones, the slow ones and all the ones in between. And most of all, bless the time that we have all been gifted with, so we can show the love You give to others and not waste it all on ourselves. This is my prayer.

Posted in Change, Christianity, Faith, Life, Patience, time | 3 Comments »

The Physics of a Running Coach

February 20, 2012 by Tim Barr

As I clocked past mile five on my early morning run this past week, I was thinking about how much I actually enjoy running. While cycling is my first passion, there is nothing like the feeling after a long run to boost the mood. The runners high we so desperately seek comes like a wave of pure joy. The sore muscles are already asking for more.

I wasn’t always a runner. While I played soccer in high school, I typically gravitated to skateboarding and snowboarding as my physical outlets. I never really saw running as something that I would enjoy. It was not until college when I stepped on a track for the first time that I saw the potential. My one-mile-3-times-a-week program was the brunt of jokes from my running friends, but I didn’t really care. At that time I didn’t understand how someone could even survive running 3 or more miles at a time.

While I was skateboarding down the halls of my high school, there was one teacher there who was always pushing me to go out for the cross-country running team. Mr. Hugill was my High School physics teacher and the coach of my High School’s cross-country running team.  I looked up to him more than any teacher I have had before or since. In addition to being a very popular teacher, he was also a devout Christian man who was never ashamed of his faith. He explained the world around me in a way that made sense. He spoke of faith as an endurance race to the finish. He spoke of physics as creation. He was the first person in my life that inspired me to live up to something greater, and to be genuine in the process.

As a runner now, I think of Mr. Hugill. There are those people in our lives that we look up to and seek to emulate. I always thought of Mr. Hugill as the sort of guy Christ would be like if he physically walked the earth today. Caring for people, reaching out to those in need, strong enough to stand up for what’s right and a competitive guy that people looked up to.

As I am now in my mid-thirties, I hope that somehow I can pay it forward. I hope I can have a positive impact on others and be a quality example of what is like to be seeking out something greater through Christ. I wonder if I can present a reality of what it is like to embrace spirituality without passing out judgment and bitterness.  I wonder if somehow I can inspire someone else to live a more full life in Christ despite their own imperfections. Mr. Hugill seemed to do that pretty well.

As I finish up another run, I am yet again inspired to do greater things. I thank those role models for being the catalyst to spark the fire inside that I never knew existed. I hope that we can all take a look at our own lives and work to live an example of goodness for others to follow.

————

Philippians 2:1-4
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,  not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others

Posted in Apologetics, Beauty, Christianity, Life, Purpose, running | Leave a Comment »

Seasons

February 13, 2012 by Tim Barr

As I shoved the last winter sweater in my bag, I looked up to realize I still had to make room for my toiletries that were sitting in the bathroom. Somehow I always seem to underestimate the amount of baggage space I need when we go home for the holidays. The long sleeve shirts, pants and jackets try to jockey for the most comfortable position in my check-on luggage before I mash the fabric together around the bag zipper to get it shut. Like a seatbelt on a fat person, my bag zipper groans as it clenches its teeth around my precious contents.

I look forward to my trips back home for the holidays. Colorado is a beautiful state, and the opportunity to change things up for some cooler weather in December is always welcome. I get excited to grab my jackets out of the closet and wear the gloves that sit dormant 11.5 months out of the year.

I have lived in Southern California for 12 years now, and while it is one of the best places to live, the lack of seasons is still hard for me to get used to. Every day runs into the next like water colors dripping from a painting. It is the same day in and day out. Our winters consist of shorter days and a little rain. The summers consist of longer days and a warmer ocean. Even the Facebook posts of people who live here are the most predictable posts on the planet. “Enjoying another morning bike ride before work” and “San Diego is awesome” posts only outnumber the “I can’t believe I’m stuck here at work while my friends are surfing” posts by a small margin.

Granted I can’t complain to live in San Diego. I love it here, but sometimes I miss the seasons.

Just like the Colorado weather, life is full of seasons. As I look back on the hard times, the good times, life-changing times, warm times and cold times I am reminded of periods in my life that define me as a person. I know that there are definitely times I long for a life-long forecast of ‘65 degrees and sunny’, but deep down I know that the seasons are what I look back on and make me understand what life is really all about. Sometimes I have to wear a winter coat and get snowed on to appreciate the warm summer days even more.

No matter what the weather is like where I live, embracing the seasons in my everyday life is an art I must continue to work on. I need to look forward to the winters, soak up the summers, and appreciate everything in between. Trust that no matter what the weather looks like, God is painting a picture, and He will keep his children close.

As I am slowly stepping into my next season of life, I am excited to step outside. I am once again packing up a suitcase to prepare, but this will be a trip that lasts a lifetime. Like the Colorado seasons, I am ready for the change. How about you?

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Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
There is a time for everything,and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace

Posted in Beauty, Change, Life, Patience, Purpose, Story | Leave a Comment »

Scar Tissue

January 30, 2012 by Tim Barr

“Don’t pick that scab!” my mother yelled at me for the umpteenth time. Like any young boy I slowly lowered my hand until she looked away and then scratched at the scab above my eye once again. “Timothy! Don’t scratch that, it will scar!”

Yep, 30 years later I still have a small scar above my eye. Although hardly noticeable to the untrained eye, the scar serves as a reminder that my mom knew what she was talking about. She predicted this very fate and I will have this blemish for the rest of my life.

The older I get, the more signs of imperfection show up. I still have gravel in my hand from a bike crash six years ago. I have scars on my elbows from sledding accidents gone wrong. I have a white line in my finger where the knife sunk into the flesh as I played Iron Chef in the kitchen.

Scars.

The reminders of pain and recovery. A tattoo of life’s lessons and experiences that prove that we are mortal.

While the scars on my flesh all have a story, the internal scars are more difficult to recognize. The hurtful words that someone said in a moment of passion. The rejection from the world or stories of regret plagues our minds. Each situation leaves it mark on us, and how we bounce back develops our character as people.

While I have faced a few challenges recently, I have determined that my reaction to these situations will drive my recovery. Will my internal scar be a story I can look back on with strength or will it be an injury that causes my demise?

I was at the market this last week and I started chatting with the clerk about an upset customer that just stormed out of the store in a rush.

“More people should slow it down and count their blessings” I told him

“For every bad thing that happens to me, I sit down and verbally say three good things that have happened to me today. It helps me keep it in perspective.” He said.

How true.

I don’t want to be the sort of person that lets the scar tissue develop into bitterness. I want to be the sort of person that remembers my scars and grows from the experience. God wants to heal us, but we need to let him. In order to do that we must stay focused on what matters and what is good. Let the scabs heal.

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Philippians 4:8-9
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Posted in Christianity, Patience, regret, Trials | 1 Comment »

The Tebow Affect

December 19, 2011 by Tim Barr

There is a saying in Colorado when you are born there that ‘you bleed orange and blue’. Denver Broncos football is in your blood from day one. Holding close to the top consecutive sell-out records in the NFL, The Denver Broncos have packed in the fans through the good times and the bad. From Barrel man to the painted faces at Mile-High, Orange Crush ‘Broncomania’ makes Colorado one of the best football states in the country.

Despite all the loyal fans, it has been a while since they had something to cheer about in Denver. Since Elway took the team to back to back Super Bowl victories in the late 90’s, the team has struggled to find their way. Changes at quarterback, coaching, and the lack of ability to stay competitive has cursed the team for the last decade.

Then along came Tim Tebow.

The young quarterback and first-round draft pick out of Florida was the talk of the nation. I have to say that the mania that surrounds this guy is unlike anything I have ever seen in professional sports. For a guy with no tabloid stories about drunken rage, wife-beating, dog fighting or hookers, Tim Tebow has more press surrounding him than OJ Simpson. People can’t wait to blast his talent, his faith, and his existence in the NFL. The media and others have been relentless in their want to see him fail. For Colorado fans, it was a window of hope, that the team would once again be a force to contend with in the NFL. We had tried the traditional approaches to the game, and it was time to think outside the box.

I don’t know many people on the face of this planet that could endure such criticism from the outside world and pull through it. What if tomorrow, every media outlet told you that you sucked at your job? The work you have done well was now not good enough– in fact, you were horrible at it. People took it one step further and blasted your character even though you are a loving and giving person. They blasted your faith, the same faith that causes you to reach out and help the homeless, give money to charity, and do good works. In fact they told you that you are a phony in all you do and you may as well jump off a bridge. Multiply that by 1,000,000 and we may have a clue what Tebow has endured from his critics.

Here is what gets me about it all: Tim Tebow does not care what his critics think. He does not get his validation from his critics, coaches or anyone with a voice. He knows he is valued by God, and that God gave him a gift to be a competitor- a gift that he is using to the very best of his human ability. This gift he continues to work at each day and develop. His passion and drive to succeed comes from a want to connect his passion in a way that gives glory to something way more pure than this world could ever offer. He knows that he is not perfect. He says it all the time, but that is reality for any person, quarterback or professional on this planet.

The lack of concern for the criticism of others and his strong faith make Tim a competitor. He has statistics in his first year as starting quarterback that rival the best in the NFL. His passion, drive, focus and will to succeed have led the Broncos to some of the most exciting victories the Broncos have ever won. It’s more than football.

I have watched Tim this season, and I have learned from him tremendously. Tim is changing the world, I am convinced of that. Tim Tebow has inspired me to live a life every day where I am giving 110% to my job, my family and the gifts God has blessed me with. Instead of looking for validation from others, I am finding myself working to just focus on my own gifts and use those to glorify God. I am working harder than ever before. I have not been complaining so much about circumstance, and I am more fulfilled than ever before. As crazy as it sounds, I owe this inspiration to Tim Tebow.

Crazy things happen when you live your life this way. You start winning games in the fourth quarter. When you think your life is over, God opens a door to give you a shot at victory. He helps guide you and direct your steps. It definitely makes life a little more exciting. It’s always going to be a battle, but in the end, wouldn’t you want something really awesome to cheer about?

Thanks to Tim, not only for giving us Broncos fans something to cheer about, but for inspiring a bunch of us to live a better life that glorifies God.

—————————————
EPHESIANS 6:7-8
“Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.”

Posted in Christianity, Patience | Leave a Comment »

Closing the Door

November 2, 2011 by Tim Barr

There are probably a thousand choices that we make on a daily basis. Some are easy decisions like what route to take to work. Other decisions are more difficult, like what we are going to wear to work when all the laundry is dirty.

Every now and then there is a decision that weighs on your heart in a way that somehow feels like the right or wrong answer will set the course of the universe. I can think back on a handful of these larger-than-life forks-in-the-road and the stress that has surrounded the situations. Marriage, job changes and buying a house name a few.

Looking back on my monstrous decisions in life, there has been a central theme to the ones that have worked out for the better. Some call it intuition, but I believe that it has been a divine draw to follow God’s plan. He is speaking to our ‘gut’ or conscience. The pieces surrounding the right decisions in life seem to line up in a divine way that is beyond our comprehension.

The disclaimer in following this path, is it does not mean that decision is going to be free of stress or doubt. What is does mean is that He promises us that we will be able to look back on that decision with perspective, and see how following his lead led to a great blessing.

This past year has been a year of very difficult decisions for both my wife and I. We have continually questioned God’s motives in situations, and worked hard to maintain our Faith in a greater plan. We have been forced to make judgment calls that are way outside of our realm of comfort. Sometimes I really want to ignore the negative signs surrounding a situation and blaze my own trail anyway. It is a consistent battle between what I want in life and what God has for us in the future if we continue to stay faithful. Waiting is not something I am good at.

A door opened last week. Surrounded by chaos and multiple signs that this was not our door of opportunity, we entertained the idea of stepping over the threshold anyway. My gut was telling me no, and my flesh was screaming yes.

We closed the door.

I am surrounded with doubt and pain. I know in my heart it was the right thing to do, but it didn’t make it easier. Until we step through God’s divine door, we will not understand why the other door opened in the first place. Perhaps God was testing our faith in His plan.

“I’m growing tired of the testing God. Please just line up the pieces. I don’t have much more to give.”

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“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world” –CS Lewis

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

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