Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Day in LuskoLand


Jaxon as a happy dragon.


Alivia, my little princess outside the Strand in Montana.
Daniel really surprised me with this one! He showed up with Leanne (Cruela de Ville) at the
Shattered premier.
Jesse (The phantom) with his bride to be- (just 60 days away) she'll be Mrs. Lusko.



Friday, October 23, 2009

Back on the Bike


Traveling plays havoc with my training. Often not enough time for a serious ride and hotel weight rooms can only do so much. But, I'm back in ABQ and that means back on the bike. Next week is the annual Day of the Tread ride, and nothing is better than fall riding along the Rio Grande.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Major Montana Invasion

Downtown Whitefish, just outside Montana Coffee Traders. Not all the time I would have liked for biking, busy weekend with the radio station and all. So ministry comes first, but Levi and I found time to spin around the village.
Interview with Crystal Lewis for Riptide. We were also able to hang out with her horses.
Jaxon and an 8 foot Grizzly. Amazed and confused.

I was able to combine several projects in Montana this weekend. So Larissa, myself, Daniel, Leanne, Heidi and even Jaxon took off for the Flathead Valley. We did some key interviews for Riptide and then on Sunday, we signed on the new Fresh Life radio station KFLF. We even added some content for Shattered that will be included in the final cut. Above is the KFLF studio just after we went on the air. Levi is documenting on his Iphone and Alivia is waiting for her chance to go on the air.

Larissa and I stayed at the Whitefish Lodge right on the lake. I love this area, mellow mountain ski town. My kind of place.

Busy with a camera crew and the radio station, we were able to get in a quick ride around Whitefish, wish there would have been time for more, but ministry comes before cycling.
Daniel, Levi & Heidi- good to see them hanging out.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Drive by blogging from the past week:

Catching up:
Lest I be charged with spiritual boasting, I know that I am the chief off all sinners.
But God's grace has allowed me to be used by Him. Which points out that there is some desparation for talent in heaven (the laborers are few). And now, it is a trip to see what the Lord is doing through my fam, i.e.: Just in the last week:
  • Sunday: Josh led worship at Metro Calvary
  • http://www.calvaryabq.org/ministry_card.asp?MinistryID=205
  • Monday: Heidi named to Homecoming Court at Hope Christian (see above pic)
  • Tuesday: Larissa taught at Women at Calvary
  • http://www.calvaryabqwomen.org/webcast.asp?ServiceID=221&q=high
  • Wednesday: Daniel released demo reel of films he has directed: www.luskoproductions.com
  • Saturday: Jesse taught at Vertical www.verticalabq.org
  • Sunday: Levi packed out his church in Montana (again) www.freshlifechurch.com
  • Becca rested. (she is pregnant with a daughter for the Lusko Southern Tribe)
  • And me? Did a few things, like www.shatteredthedvd.com, also schemed ways to get a pro cycling sponsorship so I can bike 50 miles a day and get paid for it!

No one is more amazed by this grace than me, truly, God is good, all the time!


I've been going to Santa Fe for 20 years. Great getaway, and only 45 miles away. We exit I-25 on St. Francis drive and go the to plaza for food and vibe. Wellllll, after all these years, I wandered over to a Catholic church, and who knew, the church, the street and the patron saint of Santa Fe is... St. Francis of Assisi, the cool monk who loved chipmunks. In fact, the first, and one of the few decent Christian films I've seen is, Brother Sun, Sister Moon, it is about the good saint. Okay, our Catholic friends are a little whack with the dead popes laying around the Vatican (really) and all.
But I like this guy.


Monday, October 5, 2009

Zen & the art of cycling





Back in the day when I was hopelessly lost (1974), one book that I thought to be important was:
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert Pirsig. This was a text in which he explores the Metaphysics of Quality. The book describes, in first person, a 17-day motorcycle journey across the USA, in which he tries to decide if there is anything such as quality. Yipes, the blind leading the blind.
Now in the glaring light of Jesus Christ, I am learning lessons in every quarter of my life, including scuba diving and cycling. I'll save the scuba lessons for another day, but road biking has become a major pursuit now that I can't compete in b-ball and tennis as I once did.
So, I'm learning lessons on the bike. Often I ride alone due to schedule, but really, cycling is a team sport and best enjoyed in that setting.
One great lesson from riding with others came when I understood the concept of drafting. That is the principle illustrated in nature by geese in a V. What a pleasant surprise the first time I 'got on the wheel,' of a rider ahead in a paceline. It was like hooking up my bike to be towed by vehicle! Saving 30-40% of energy, 'drafting' is staple of pro riding. Check out Levi's teaching,
'Slipstream for Your Soul,' for a nice message on this analogy.

http://freshlifechurch.com/messages/2samuel/2samuel0801.mp3

When you are rolling in a paceline, you can see some sweet spiritual lessons:

1. You can do more as part of a group than individually. Suddenly, you are part of something bigger and more effective than yourself. That's what the church is in relationship to the Christian.

2. You don't want to let your teammates down. When you are about to 'bonk,' it's easier to push yourself when other cyclists are depending on you. So, you draw on more than you thought you could deliver. This is where the Holy Spirit comes in, He is the power.

3. When the team is really rolling, 'magically', you feel part of a living organism.
I remember watching Lance and US Postal on the Tour, when they would roll through a stage like a machine, smoothly changing riders at the front, it was a thing of beauty to behold. The church is the most important institution in the world, we should fire on all cylinders and function like a team.


Finally, isn't cool how geese evolved to use the V for drafting while they fly?



Thursday, October 1, 2009

Am I hallucinating?

Empire State Building Goes Green for Muslim Holiday
Since 9/11, some genius at the Empire State building decided to honor the Muslim holiday of Ramadan by lighting the building green. This week, to 'celebrate' the communist takeover of China, this American icon is lit up red. Do these guys have a history book? Or even a copy of the New York Times from 9/12/01? Mao systematically starved tens of millions and murdered millions more. Red China is flagrant about human rights abuses, and maintains a forced abortion policy. Shall I go on? The Empire State building is standing only because the radical Muslims have not gotten around to knocking it down. Unbelievable. Osama and the butchers in Beijing are smirking. And planning.

Check this:
Empire State Building Goes Red for Communist China, Sparking Protest - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com