When The Master returned to the servants, he found that the servant with five talents had used the talents, and earned five more, which he presented his Master. Likewise, the servant with two had put his talents to good use, and earned two more talents. The servant who was given a single talent, however, had simply buried his talent - according to him, it was for fear of his Master, although it’s hard to believe that was the real reason.

Parables are made to be applied to different situations - so I feel comfortable applying it to kids magnifying what options they have and what they make of their lives.

One kid grows up and has every benefit - lives in the same house all his life, has two supportive parents, a good school, good friends, health insurance, nice clothes - all of which not only make him a self confident young man, but set him up for success. It is worth celebration when he takes those 5 talents, and doubles them, and is found to have 5 more talents - is a successful professional, has a great wife and family, is healthy, wealthy, and wise.

One kid grows up, and does not enjoy every benefit - she moves around all the time, comes from a broken home, receives little school support, is not able to receive regular checkups (there’s no money for that) and wears what small and frugal wardrobe the family can afford. She, however, takes those two talents, and gets a degree, marries a great man, and is able to provide for her family.

Should not both receive the same kudos for their achievement? Both magnified their given talents by the same percentage. Both should receive the same reward. Not both get the same number of talents, but both would be told by the Master “‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ ”

Or, in our case - they’re both due the same amount of respect. To respect the one more because he achieved 5 talents doesn’t take into account the 5 talents originally given - and that both did well considering their circumstances. Would the servant with the 5 talents be congratulated for earning 2? No, that’d be a failure. So achieving 5 isn’t OVER achieving, it’s doing exactly as the Master might hope and expect. The same was done by the servant with 2 talents who also magnified what she was given.

The servant with one talent, however, is the person who - because of their poor circumstances - will not try. They’re afraid of rejection? Don’t want to try? Dont’ believe in themselves? In either case, the person clings so tightly to the single talent they have, clings so hard to the tragedy that is their childhood, that they bury their talent and in the end, we are told: “‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

I know how I’m doing with my talents - how are you doing with yours?

I want to use Google maps and map out a morning run, then start doing my running in the mornings - and make it an every day thing. That’d be awesome.

Anyways if I can run 5 miles as a maximum this week, then I’d have two more weeks until I can run a 10k (since I’m already signed up for the 5k for the 28th and this week is too soon for the 10k so I’ll do a 5k then) I’m really excited to run a 10k, that’d be a stretch.

It feels good to be making improvement!

There was like a mile and a half with a pretty good incline on it, and that was good.

I got my first 5k tshirt!

tomorrow I run the regular 3 and then Saturday I’m running a 5k in Orem.

Tomorrow I’m hoping to run the 5k at faster than 12 min pace

That’s plenty for one email.

Querido amigo,

Entre 1996 y 1998 tenia la oportunidad de servir El Senor como misionero, y me toco la suerte de ser uno de los misioneros que te enseno. Este tiempo de servirte y servir Al Senor como misionero me ha servido como un base a mi vida, y estoy eternalmente agradecido para ese tiempo de conocerte, y poder servir como misionero.

Bueno despues de 10 anos, aqui te llega una carta de mi, y te pido muchas disculpes por no haber escrito antes. Pero igual es mejor escribir ahora que demorar mas, a mi manera de pensar. Al regresar del camp misional, me pusi las pilas en estudiar, casarme, y empezar mi familia. Este Augusto cumplo 8 anos de matrimonio, y tenemos 3 hijas lindas, Eve (5 anos), Megan (4 anos) y Claire (3 meses).

Trabajo por una empresa que hace restauraciones fotograficas, donde trabajo en manejar la oficina, servicio al cliente y la venta. Disfruto el trabajo y mis companeros de trabajo.

Vivimos en Utah, donde tenemos un barrio bueno con buenos vecinos, nos ha tocado mucha suerte tener vecinos tan geniales.

Y a uds como les va? Tienen algun noticia? Como esta el vecindario, la familia? Que tal la iglesia alli? Sigues llendo?

Aun si la respuesta es no, por favor me contestas a mi carta con noticias de como esta y la familia y que ha pasado para ud durante estos ultimos anos. Es ud un parte grande de mi vida y le quiero muchisimo por eso y la oportunidad especial que compartimos.

Yo quiero que sepa que yo tengo un testimonio de la Obra del Senor. Que nuestras vidas tan cortas tienen un gran proposito. El plan del Senor para volver a vivir con Nuestro Padre Celestial. Se que El Senor nos ha dado ese oportunidad por medio de su gran sacrificio. Estoy tan agradecido que puedo arrepentirme de mis fallas y tratar ser un hombre mejor y no solo quedarme parado cuando me fallo. El mensaje del evangelio restaurado sigue siendo la verdad.

Si quiere contactarme, estaria tan feliz. Yo le quiero muchisimo como amigo - tienes un gran espacio en la hisoria de mi vida.

Mi direccion electronica:
austin_long@yahoo.com

Mi direccion del correo:
Austin Long
760 W. 2220 N.
Lehi, UT 84043
USA

Mi numero telefonico:
(801) 768-4460

Ojala que podemos communicar mas en el futuro - le quiero justo como esta ud ahorita - no hay condiciones a nuestro amistad.

Su hermano,
Austin

I was really surprised and happy to see that my pace stayed consistent - 1st mile was 12 minutes, 2nd was 24, 3rd was 36 and 4th was 48.

I thought it was pretty hard - at 3.1 I really didn’t want to run any more, I felt that my heart rate was high, I felt tired, and my leg hurt. I didn’t have any excuse to stop, so I couldn’t. If I couldn’t run 4 miles today, then when would I? I was rested, and it shouldn’t have been that much of a straight from 3.1 to 4.

Of course I’d love to run a 10 minute pace marathon, and finish my half marathon in just 130 minutes. But I think my best strategy is to show myself that I can run, and my endurance can grow, and THEN increase the pace. If I can run 13 miles in 2 hours and 37 minutes, then how could I NOT believe that I could run it in 2 hours and 30 minutes? And then 2 hours and 15 minutes? 10 minute pace is 2 hours and 11 minutes. My best way to do it is to get my endurance up for this slower pace, and do one hard thing at a time - not endurance AND speed at the same time.

4 miles was hard for me - but I did it! By the end of June, I’d like to be able to run 6 miles nonstop, and that I can finish the 5k in 34-35 minutes.

Today I wanted to see how it’d be to run 10 minute miles for the 5k.

I ran the first mile at just under a 10 minute pace. I ran the first half at like an 8:30-9 minute pace, because I didn’t know how to tell what my pace was until I’d run long enough.

After that I walked a lap (1/8 mile) but then this guy from my old ward came on the track and wanted to talk. So then it became a second lap.

Anyways, I finished at 38:00. Running faster for the first mile really took something out of me, and that’s the truth. Maybe it’d be better to accept a 12 minute mile for now and start running longer than try to get my pace up right now. Who knows.

Finding it harder to keep a slow pace. The beat of the music that I now have, or not liking being paced by old women that are speed walking, or the two together, combine to make me go just a little faster.

I don’t know if that’s why, or what, but it was actually harder at about 1.5-1.75, and I took a fast walk break. My muscles just didn’t want to go the same speed any more. Faster would be ok, or slower too, but same speed no. So I varied my speed from very fast walk to really good running pace just so the muscles wouldn’t hurt. At least I finished the last couple laps really running as fast as I could.

But I wasn’t very excited that I wasn’t able to simply run the 3.1 without any breaks at a 12:00 or faster pace. I wish I saw faster results. I don’t know to attribute slow results to that’s how things are supposed to be, or that I’m doing counter productive or less effective things.

My opinion is that I should probably keep doing the same, 3 miles during week (but Friday not try to have it a “grow” day) and run long on Saturday. Then in two weeks I should be able to better evaluate.

I was thinking there should be an mp3 (or many) that have beats that coincide with an avg stride 9 minute pace, or 12 minute pace, etc. I wonder if I could find some.