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I mentioned yesterday that we started our travel day Saturday before the cruise watching our son Mark (and cruise host!) winning the Mile Stadium stair race for the 5th straight year. Mark is a nationally ranked stair climber—these are people who race up skyscrapers. For example, one highlight of our trip was a visit to the Seattle Space Needle, an engineering marvel dedicated in 1962. (I actually saw it that summer as I was on tour with a musical group from my high school.) Anyway, Mark is one of five men in the world to run to the top of the Space Needle in less than 5 minutes!

So what does a nationally ranked stair climber do while on a vacation cruise? The same thing he does every other day: he trains! Mark had a training schedule mapped out before he left, including running laps around the ship using the jogging track, running up and down the stairs on the ship, and even getting into Skagway early to do a 90-minute trail run. The last night of the cruise, we all got in just before midnight. Mark was up at 5am running the ship’s stairs one more time. From Deck 6 to Deck 17 in 55 seconds with a leisurely 2-minute run down…13 times.

Train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. (1 Timothy 4.7, 8, ESV)

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. (1 Corinthians 9.25, NIV)

One more thing. We don’t train spiritually just for ourselves—it’s for others. Bible study without application and passing it on is like going to the gym to get strong but never helping anyone move their piano!

Mark’s fitness is not just for himself as he demonstrated on the last day. The only way we could make our suitcases weigh less than the airline’s 50-pound weight limit was to put some excess into my backpack. Oops. I put more into it than my left knee (the one not replaced last year!) wanted to carry. So, Mark to the rescue.

Mark put Galatians 6.2 literally into practice! Another holy moment.

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6.2, NIV)