Why I ride my bike

God blessed them:

"Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!

Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air,

for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth."

Genesis 1:28  (The Message)

Dear Friends,

I rode my bike into work this morning (Tuesday)! This is not so much about bragging but more of a celebration for me. For the last 6 weeks, I did not ride my bike to work because of being away, the weather, and fighting a head cold. It feels really good to be back on the bike.

There are several reasons why I ride my bike into work… Firstly, it is good for my physical health. It works my muscles which works my heart. All this keeps me healthier and improves my stamina. I also love the fact that I’m burning a lot of calories. Unfortunately, my mind immediately wants to tell me, “You get to eat more!” When I manage to keep that impulse under control, it helps me lose weight.

I also notice that riding improves my mental health. Supposedly, there are things called endorphines that the body releases when one exercises that really lift the spirits. I definitely notice that my mood is better when I have ridden into work.

I also really like the fact that I’m “lowering my carbon footprint.” I remember when I was in elementary school, it seemed like the main concern for the environment was about pollution. Because of the increased number of cars, cities started having smog problems. There was also growing awareness of how litter makes things ugly. Even then, I had an awareness that we as Christians are called to be stewards of God’s creation. Then, it meant cutting down on pollution, not littering and picking up trash. As I grew older, the awareness became that something as benign as carbon dioxide is problematic for our environment. With the more than eight billion people sharing this world, the diminishing rain forests, and the increased demand for energy, we are putting so much carbon in the atmosphere that the greenhouse effect is warming up our planet.

When I ride my bike, I’m not burning any fossil fuels to get me here. It by no means solves our global problem. On the other hand, if eight billion of us are working at lowering our carbon footprint, I can’t help but think that it would make a difference. As one of those eight billion, I want to do my part.

And, yes… It does get more real for me when I see my 15 month old, twin grandbabies… What kind of world am I leaving for them?

So one of things I do is ride my bike!

Peace,

Pastor Phil