Today has been an awesome one for sure. Started out nice with the kids sleeping in for a while and then it got even better when my wife and I got to take a run together along the beach front. Pretty inspiring… so inspiring that Cortni and I ran further today than either of us had run before. Today Cortni ran 2.5 miles in 23 minutes and I made it all the way to the 5.0 mile mark in in about 50 minutes. The goal though wasn’t to run anywhere fast, but to get there with a steady approach. That is extremely hard for one Mr. Jason Roy to enjoy. However I see the value in it now. I’ve never run even close to 50 minutes straight… at least not since high school… and it felt awesome to stop and look at the watch and know that I had beaten my best by 20 minutes. Now to say that I run all the time is a GROSS overstatement… I’ve run now 7 days… that’s right just 7 days, but I’ve got to say that “the most boring sport I’ve ever heard of” actually may have me hooked.

I am an athlete, I mean anyone who reads my writings or hangs out with me knows that my heart beats for sports… especially basketball. Put me on a basketball court and I’ll run for 2 hours straight and not even realize it, but sometimes running the long race with just the road in front of you makes it pretty hard. Hmmm here’s the thought that all this is culminating with: Are you an “I need to see the results now” kind of person?? If so, you and I are a lot alike. But I would submit that what I am learning right now is that most things in life that are immediately fulfilling are also very fleeting. Let me tell you what I mean. Studies show that the best years of a marriage are at year 10 and beyond…. and that the marriage is better the longer it lasts. Interesting isn’t it, that the average length of time that people have been married before they get divorced in the US is actually 8-9 years. SOOOOO CLOSE… but not quite.

I heard a pastor say that we are such a results-oriented nation that when we don’t see happiness the way we thought it would be, we just divorce and move on… and then repeat the cycle, never knowing that the best years of our marriages were right around the corner. And how many of us have new years resolutions that last only 2-3 months and then we give up on them? You may or may not have noticed that about a year and a half ago I had put on an extra 15-20 pounds of pure muscle. I mean I was dedicated to the core… I was eating right, taking supplements, and in the gym ever single day. I was also the happiest I had ever been about my self image and I was starting, at the age of 28, to get comfortable in my own skin. I went out on a tour and didn’t make it a priority and when I got home I had lost almost all of the muscle. Just yesterday I was wondering… what kind of shape would I be in now if I had just stuck it out???

How about the Bible…. how many times have we sworn that we were going to “Get in the Word” and not fall out of it. To start off strong… to make it a full month or more, only to derail and feel further from the Lord??? Gosh that story is one that I’ve known well in my lifetime.

The funny thing is though… that the more that you read the Bible, the more you wanted to read it, right?? The more that I lifted weights the more that I HAD to get in the gym. The more that you’ve loved your wife the more that it becomes the center of your life right? And with running… here is an activity that I HATED…. that I find myself actually enjoying for a change… wow how cool is that.

BUILDING429 as a ministry and a band has been running the LOOONG race it seems for a while now. Challenges never cease to appear over the horizon, and Michael, Jesse, and I are always trying to find ways to take what we do to the “next Level”. Sometimes it’s hard knowing that what you see in your head is not what the fans will get to see at the show… I mean let’s face it guys… money talks in the entertainment world… and we ain’t rich. Sometimes it’s hard to pour your heart into a record and it not be a #1. The same goes for every single that we send to radio. That’s just honest…. but I got some perspective today from an absolutely unexpected source. I walked into starbucks about an hour ago and saw a tattoo on the baristas and asked what it was. She held up her arm and it read “I AM FEARFULLY” and then she held the other arm up and it read “AND WONDERFULLY MADE” and I thought… ahhhhhh. Thank you God for reminding me. Turns out she’s an aspiring christian artist who’s excited that she’s going to Nashville to record a demo…. “Hmm I remember those days” I said to myself. Wish you guys could’ve seen her eyes light up when I told her what I do and the band that I’m with. It was really cool… not in a “I’M A ROCKSTAR” kinda way, but in a “God is good” kind of way. Am I such a “I need it now guy” that I’ve forgotten the goodness of my God over the years?? Building429 has ministered to countless hundreds of Thousands, if not millions by this time… and is that not good enough???

The race is long… the journey isn’t easy… but the fulfillment only comes when we meet Jesus. So stick it out people. Don’t quit… don’t give up and don’t give in. Don’t relent to the world’s opinion of success, and never underestimate the power God has to put you right where you need to be, when you need it most. Maybe even when they need it most. Today I was encouraged and reminded by a tattoo on barista who loved Jesus. Today a barista was encouraged by a guy who walked in and ordered a grande vanilla latte for his wife… who understood her dream.

To whoever is reading this right now. Here’s some encouragement for you, thanks to GOD in Myrtle Beach!!: YOU ARE FEARULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE. With that in mind, GO!!!

Don’t underestimate God, people… don’t you do it. Just keep running!

Blessings,
Jason