More Testimonies of the Hand Print of the Living God at Work in Our Lives

This was sent to me by a new Ultra Marathon friend of mine named Marc.

I couldn't resist sharing his story as I am beginning to hear such storys again and again as I have taken the leap of faith in putting my own story out there to show others that God is a Living God and is active, listening and responding to our prayers.

Read on....

Hey Erskien,

I posted a comment recently on Lisa Smith-Batchens blog about Plantar Fasciitis. You posted a comment below mine and I was completely blown away by your response.

I have been on this path recently where I have been wanting to improve and heal my body. My previous doctor advised me to quit running. So I changed doctors.

I am a long distance runner/adventure racer and I am 49 years old. I am planning to do the Sahara Race in Oct./09.

So, with that, I sought out a trainer who I felt could help me. He encouraged me to go barefoot in the gym and then eventually on the road. He advised me that the path to better biomechanics and spinal health was barefoot training.

It's been 6 weeks and what a difference!

I did some research and discovered Vibram FiveFingers technology. I pointed it out to my trainer and we both now have a pair.

It is funny how the Lord puts you on the proper path when you ask him. He guided me to Lisa, who inspires me daily, to a doctor who respects me and my opinions/questions, a trainer who educates me, and now you. I plan to read all your articles and gain more knowledge.


Thank you! Marc

Erskien Lenier Replying to Marc


I love it when God shows up so boldly!

My story unfolded in a very similar fashion! I ran back in my teen years (the 1970's) and got side tracked into bicycle road racing.

I had a huge engine (heart, lungs and capillary beds) to go really far and pretty fast but took a while to learn tactics and and specialization in training.

I found myself over trained and lost motivation about 2 yrs into it and returned to running for a mental break.

Being young and dumb I invested all of 2 months and went out and ran my first marathon (St. Louis) in 2:32:30 thinking maybe I'd qualify for Boston and head in a new direction from cycling.

3 weeks later I did the Heart of America marathon in Columbia, MO and began to see signs that something was wrong with my right knee.

Long story short the knee self distructed and the MD's (after Arthroscopic examination) told me it was so bad I'd need a new knee in a matter of years.

I tried speed skating... That eventually proved to aggravate the knee too. I returned to cycling because it was the aerobic activity I that allowed me to express my need for high intencity endurance sports that I thrived on.

Fast forward a couple of decades later and after breaking just about every exotic material used in modern road racing bikes and becoming disillusioned that a better bike would complete me....

I finally asked God to guide me in the healing of my knee so I could return to running and no longer need machines to move across the land. I longed for simplicity, unedited simplicity.

In less than 30 days he guided me to Tucker Sharp in Newport Beach, CA He is a practioner of a form of deep tissue muscle and its surrounding facia or sheath release called Heller Work http://www.balanceme.com/

He helped undo a lot of the cork screw like twisting of my spine and identified extreme tenstion differences in my hip muscles and ligaments.

Tucker took me miles from the debilitating contortion I came to realize my body have lived under. I went from 10-20 miles per week to 50-60 miles per week just while working with him.

He eventually saw that the more refined details of what was still needing to be done with my posture would be better addresses by another modality called the Egoscue Method and turned me onto Charlie Reid who is Pete Egoscue trained body worker @ www.egoscue.com

Charlie helped me see other areas of how twisted up my body was still and the need for more subtle yet precise work to unlock it.

He provided me with simple sequential stretches and strengthening exercises to unlock the dysfunctional adaptations my body had distorted itself into to deal with bad form I had adopted from my teen years of running in shoes, the various injuries I'd sustained and the odd cants, leans, twist and shifts I'd subtly made to run and ride around sore spots and injuries.

After all this body work I began to notice that as my milage per week moved up beyond 50 and even touching 65 miles per week I was developing shin splints, loosing toe nails, getting blister in different spots and some times in as early as 4 miles into a run and going from shoe model to shoe model looking for a shoe that would fix all this. I track out finances in Microsoft Money and it helped me realize I was spending over $120 a month on running shoes! And the other thing that really bothered me is all of them were wearing out at that the outer corner of the heal long before the rest of the shoe showed any sign of wear at all! The tops and the front of the shoe looked brand new 30 days out and the heals were worn through!
As I studied all the information on every shoe companies site and read all the reviews on running forums my head began to spin with conflicting "facts" about each show, what they were supposed to do or offer and then I came upon a forum at www.runnersworld.com that was all about the injuries runners sustain and one on shoes and I realized the carnage centered around the feet! The feet and knees were getting hammered and no one was stopping to ask why? And is there something we are missing here?

I googled "Running Injuries" to try to find out what others had found as solutions to what I was haunted by.

That's when I came upon Barefoot Running. Someone has a posting that spoke of turning to Barefoot Running and all their feet and leg problems went away! That person was Barefoot Rick at www.BarefootRunner.org He described having had most of the same symptoms I am a bazillion other runners posted on runnerworlds forum. And he was running marathons barefoot now and his legs and feet were fine!


God had revealed to me that shoes were somehow a part of the problem and were not as important as marketing and the market hyped them to be.

On his site I found contact info for a local Barefooter...

Barefoot Ken Bob Saxton of Huntington Beach, CA he said something in our email exchange that forever changed the way I viewed the valued feet: "Barefoot Running forces correct biomechanics".

Having been a world class cyclist for decades and having worked as a Master Frame Builder in the off season had taught me how importan things like alignment of the bike frames and fittings were to the wear, tear, effeciency and longevity of the attached components.

I'd just never held the human bodys biomechanics up to the same understanding! Nor did I understand beyond it's biochemistry how the human body was so naturally designed to be self balancing in regard to the tension and movement of its structural components.

I was so facinated that here I was crossing the 50 yr mark in life and God had allowed me travel this far from my teen years just to wear down my ego enough that I would simply turn to him and ask for guidance! I spent decades attempting to fix my ailments with my own will and as your about to learn he fixed decades of ignorance in moments! The key is I had to become humble enough to acknowledge the source of my own life force and of coarse the source of all wisdom. He is known as Jesus <>< The Fisher of Men.... He caught... And he taught me....

One night he woke me from a sound sleep woke me up at 1:30 AM.

I had the feeling I was supposed to go for a run.

I put on my Camel Bak as I had no idea how far I would feel like going, scribbled a note that I had my phone with me and kissed my sleeping wife on the cheek then headed out the door.

Two steps out and I heard as surely as someone was standing next to me; "Take off your shoes."

I stopped and looked around.... I heard it again...

I could not tell what direction it came from... It sounded like it was coming from everywhere and from within. I complied. I put my shoes in my Camel Bak and set out.

3 miles later and way out in Norco, CA on gravally dark roads (with tender feet mind you) I was giddy with laughter and so happy it was beyond explanation!

I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God was teaching me! That he loved me and I told him there on that spot that if he would be my coach for all things running and beyond running I would dedicate my every effort to bringing glory to his message and his agenda which is that we are forgiven! There is grace. God sent his only begotten son of a virgin birth to be crucified and perish only to rise again as a means to pay the price of all of mankinds sins. We are free! Free to live as Godly a life as we can listen and follow.

Well that was 15 months ago.... 3400 miles later here I am! My right knee is perfect! No crunchies, no inflammation, no ticking or clicking and I feel so truly blessed that God has given me back what was stolen 100 times over.

No my feet are not calloused over and no I don't worry about glass or any other thing in my many paths of adventure across the concrete and asphalt land I live in. Gods taught me like life... To land softly. Be alert yet relaxed, move with momentun and allow gravity to not just hold you to this Earth but to actually move you across it. (That's another lesson you will learn if you decide to unmute your ability to feel the Earth beneath your feet.)

My mission is to share the good news with everyone who will listen.

Two BareFoot Soles at a Time!

Erskien Lenier
Corona, CA

What You Say vs What God Says.

You say: "It's impossible" God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27)

You say: "I'm too tired" God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: "Nobody really loves me" God says: I love you (John 3:16 & John 3:34 )

You say: "I can't go on" God says: My grace is sufficient (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: "I can't figure things out" God says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5-6)

You say: "I can't do it" God says: You can do all things (Philippians 4:13) You say: "I'm not able" God says: I am able (II Corinthians 9:8)

You say: "It's not worth it" God says: It will be worth it (Roman 8:28 )

You say: "I can't forgive myself" God says: I Forgive you (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: "I can't manage" God says: I will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19)

You say: "I'm afraid" God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear (II Timothy 1:7)

You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated" God says: Cast all your cares on ME (I Peter 5:7)

You say: "I'm not smart enough" God says: I give you wisdom (I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: "I feel all alone" God says: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)

Bad Biomechanics?

This topic is from my friend Barefoot Ken's blog and I think it is a brilliant and accurate observation of the deeper truth about barefoot running, biomechanics and how running injuries happen. You can always count on Ken to give you the bare bones truth about barefoot running!

Bad Biomechanics? (2004 September 23) Saxton
September 23rd, 2004
A salesperson said I have bad biomechanics and should not run without special shoes, which cost an arm and a leg?
I am often told, “how lucky you are, that you have perfect biomechanics which allow you to run barefoot.”
My reply is, “I don’t have good enough biomechanics to be able to run well woth shoes blockign my ability to feel the ground beneath my feet, and respond appropriately by correcting my, otherwise, sloppy biomechanics.”
Are our “Biomechanical Problems”, simply mechanical defects in the human design, which cannot be repaired, and can only be patched or corrected by adding cushioning, motion control, support, etc., provided by wearing modern hi-tech running shoes and orthotic devices?
Do we really have “Biomechanical Problems” with our feet, our legs, our hips, etc., or do shoes actually cause it to appear that we have biomechanical issues, by depriving us of an essential component in the design of the human running “machine”, depriving us of the one thing that might help us learn to run “biomechanically” correct?
I believe that actual genetic bad biomechanics are very rare. Most of us are born to run well. It’s in our genes. When someone says we have “bad biomechanics”, they often mean that we run with bad technique. The assumption is that we are born with our running technique, instead of my presumption, that we learn how to run as we grow up.
When we learn to run WITHOUT feedback from the soles of our feet, as they touch the ground, we often learn to run badly, just as a deaf or hard-of-hearing person has trouble learning to pronounce sounds they cannot perceive.
The best runners in the world come from areas of the world where they learn to run barefoot. Good running technique in these areas is taken for granted. In fact, it is in our genes as well. The problem is, shoes often get in the way of the natural advantage a barefooter has, in learning how to run the way we are designed to run.
Even such seemingly severe problems such as seeming leg-length discrepencies, well, I suspect that most, perhaps nearly all, asymmetry issues; leg length, uneven wear on your shoes, etc., are the result of learning, practicing, and adapting unsymmetrical postural habits. The right leg might appear longer than the left leg, if we, for example, spend a lot of time standing with our weight on one leg, with the other leg stretched out to the side. This may not result in bone-length differences, but the asymmetrical posture, when it becomes habitual (you may not even be aware you are standing that way), will result in asymmetrical strengths and weaknesses of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc..
In such cases, the cure is NOT to add a shim to the bottom of the sole, which would only reinforce the leg-length discrepancy by pushing the “short” leg even shorter! The cure is to exercise, and stretch, and practice symmetry in your day-to-day posture, movements, and other physical habits - to, in short, make symmetry a habit, over the long run.
Most of our bad habits are learned because we aren’t aware, either that the practice is bad, or that we are doing something in a particular way. Awareness is key in developing good biomechanical habits. Shoes block awareness.
We can continue to depend on sales people and shoes to control the way we run, with the underlying, and obviously wrong, assumption that humans were designed to run with shoes blocking valuable sensory information about how we are running.
Or we can learn to improve HOW we run - starting by listening to and paying attention to what we learn from our bare feet.Sphere: Related ContentFiled under: Biomechanics
More posts by: Barefoot Ken BobRunning Barefoot
Search more posts for: Bad Biomechanics? (2004 September 23) Saxton
-->http://runningbarefoot.org/?p=415

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Bad Biomechanics?

This topic is from my friend Barefoot Ken's blog and I think it is a brilliant and accurate observation of the deeper truth about barefoot running, biomechanics and how running injuries happen. You can always count on Ken to give you the bare bones truth about barefoot running!

Bad Biomechanics? (2004 September 23) Saxton
September 23rd, 2004
A salesperson said I have bad biomechanics and should not run without special shoes, which cost an arm and a leg?
I am often told, “how lucky you are, that you have perfect biomechanics which allow you to run barefoot.”
My reply is, “I don’t have good enough biomechanics to be able to run well woth shoes blockign my ability to feel the ground beneath my feet, and respond appropriately by correcting my, otherwise, sloppy biomechanics.”
Are our “Biomechanical Problems”, simply mechanical defects in the human design, which cannot be repaired, and can only be patched or corrected by adding cushioning, motion control, support, etc., provided by wearing modern hi-tech running shoes and orthotic devices?
Do we really have “Biomechanical Problems” with our feet, our legs, our hips, etc., or do shoes actually cause it to appear that we have biomechanical issues, by depriving us of an essential component in the design of the human running “machine”, depriving us of the one thing that might help us learn to run “biomechanically” correct?
I believe that actual genetic bad biomechanics are very rare. Most of us are born to run well. It’s in our genes. When someone says we have “bad biomechanics”, they often mean that we run with bad technique. The assumption is that we are born with our running technique, instead of my presumption, that we learn how to run as we grow up.
When we learn to run WITHOUT feedback from the soles of our feet, as they touch the ground, we often learn to run badly, just as a deaf or hard-of-hearing person has trouble learning to pronounce sounds they cannot perceive.
The best runners in the world come from areas of the world where they learn to run barefoot. Good running technique in these areas is taken for granted. In fact, it is in our genes as well. The problem is, shoes often get in the way of the natural advantage a barefooter has, in learning how to run the way we are designed to run.
Even such seemingly severe problems such as seeming leg-length discrepencies, well, I suspect that most, perhaps nearly all, asymmetry issues; leg length, uneven wear on your shoes, etc., are the result of learning, practicing, and adapting unsymmetrical postural habits. The right leg might appear longer than the left leg, if we, for example, spend a lot of time standing with our weight on one leg, with the other leg stretched out to the side. This may not result in bone-length differences, but the asymmetrical posture, when it becomes habitual (you may not even be aware you are standing that way), will result in asymmetrical strengths and weaknesses of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc..
In such cases, the cure is NOT to add a shim to the bottom of the sole, which would only reinforce the leg-length discrepancy by pushing the “short” leg even shorter! The cure is to exercise, and stretch, and practice symmetry in your day-to-day posture, movements, and other physical habits - to, in short, make symmetry a habit, over the long run.
Most of our bad habits are learned because we aren’t aware, either that the practice is bad, or that we are doing something in a particular way. Awareness is key in developing good biomechanical habits. Shoes block awareness.
We can continue to depend on sales people and shoes to control the way we run, with the underlying, and obviously wrong, assumption that humans were designed to run with shoes blocking valuable sensory information about how we are running.
Or we can learn to improve HOW we run - starting by listening to and paying attention to what we learn from our bare feet.Sphere: Related ContentFiled under: Biomechanics
More posts by: Barefoot Ken BobRunning Barefoot
Search more posts for: Bad Biomechanics? (2004 September 23) Saxton

-->http://runningbarefoot.org/?p=415

Tis the Season to be Jolly.... Or is it?

This is my blog and the topics cover everything that come to me through God.

The things I learn while running barefoot all over the country side, at work, at home, in my dreams, standing in line at the grocery store or in the midst of a church sermon or bible study group discussion.

It's Christmas season and for many out there it's not going to feel like it. As I read of the plight of those who are being laid off, let go, cut back, over worked and under paid, and the new term "Under Employed" I feel many things but one of them is not like it's time yet to count only my blessings.

Technically, I too am one of the Under Employed. I work for a local Honda dealer in the Wholesale or Internet Sales Dept. and as most know the car business as a whole has ground down to a trickle at best even on the below invoice pricing side of it.

I enjoyed helping people get a "fat free" quote and stream lining the buying process so at it's shorter than most expect conclusion I'd get to hear: "Man, that was easier and faster than I have ever bought a car before!"

However with so many of you wondering if your even going to have a job in the next few days, weeks or months very few are confident enough to take on the responsibility of a new car loan even if they can get it at dead cost and for almost no interest loans.

That's reality. I accept that.

What I don't accept is that I have to stuck or trapped by what's going on in financial markets.

That's why I have made it my business to free as many of you as I can from the mental and financial constraints of the fear that grips our nation and now the globe.

I personally do not believe a government bailout of financial instruments that have out lived their usefulness is the solution. I believe the real solution is leverage more people into no risk and low risk home businesses that anyone can do and everyone who has an ounce of hope still alive in them will do.

The Government has acknowledged that SMALL BUSINESSES are the back bone of our nations economy.

Yes, Wall St. and Detroit are and have been big players also but times are changing. How many of you realized 2-4 yrs ago that debt was the core "asset" under the supposed pile of cash our banks were supposed to be sitting on when deposited our checks every 2 weeks?

How many of you realize debt is not a asset? Debt is a liability!

Our nation is in financial difficulty purely because it framed debt as an asset and marketed to every level of consumer in this nation without teaching the truth about how wealth is built.

Well, I'm here to state that era is over. We are in the information age and we do all have access to many different sources of information instantly so we can look at most things from many points of view and have learned to trust few single sources of info about anything beyond our relationships with God.

Ok, so we all know the nature of the problem. A Nation system in great distress. Many elements of it dieing a screaming death right before our eyes. (No matter how much money is poured into institutions that have bad business models do you trust them enough to invest in them? Of coarse not!) So no more need to grieve over their down fall.

The questions we need to all be asking is what can "We the People" do about it?

For the everyday person out on the street it does truly look bleak. For those of you reading these words there is hope. Great hope!

Matter of fact I don't even believe it was any kind of accident or even cooincidence that your here right now!

Ever since God woke me up to the pervasive nature of his involvement in my own life I have asked him to use me to serve his people. To help me become a bridge to his kingdom and help build that kingdom for his return in the flesh one day.

What's this got to do with the economy?

Everything.... God does provide....

Quick story... Some of you have heard it before but tuning into it is needed to make sure any given persons heart and mind are in agreement that God's solutions don't look like the worlds solutions. But he does provide... From there we have reach...

Farmers house is one flood plain and he hears reports on the radio that a heavy rain with possible floods is coming.

He heads for home. Puts away the animals and goes in to keep dry.

Here's on the radio that the rivers rising and everyone in his area should evacuate.
He take a moment to ask God to protect and take care of him.

In a bit the local Sheriff comes by and suggest he get in his truck and leave. He tells him he if a faithfull man and God is looking out over him. He declines and sends him on his way.

Eventually, he realizes the river has over flowed into his fields and is heading for his house. He does his best to sand bag his doors.

The water rises....

Comes in through his doors and evenually the down stairs windows.

He says, "Awwwe, no big deal. I'll go up stairs and ride it out!
God will protect me...

Once he's up stairs he realizes it's coming on up the stairs!

He here's a thump out side and looks out and it's one of his neighbors in a boat up against the house upstairs window and upon seeing him is suggesting he climb in and get out there as they say this is a big one and don't see a crest in sight! (Sound familiar)

How tells his neighbor..."Nawwwww, just go on. I'm not leaving... this will crest and I'll be fine. Gods watching over me!"

Off the neighbor goes....

The waters continue to rise.... Up throught the attic and onto the roof top he goes....

The waters continue to rise.... A helicoptor comes by... "We're here to rescue you!"
And again he waves them off yelling, "NO, GO ON... I'M FINE! GOD IS PROTECTING ME" and reluctantly they go on....

The water continues to rise until he is floated off the house... and drowns....

Next thing he knows he's in heaven....

Once he realizes he has passed over he finds God and asked him....

"God I was faithful! I asked you to protect me! Why did you let me down?"

God said, "Son, I did protect you! Who do you think sent all the efforts to rescue you!"

The moral of the story is consider this blog to be your helicopter ride out of the rising waters.

Click on the links to the right of this story and find the helicopter you would like to lift you out of your deluge.

God's trying to clean up a mess made by man. He's not saying your that mess. He's saying he is here to set you free! To make you a victor and not a victim in life. To prosper you and not to steal from, kill or destroy you.

He has worked harder than you can ever comprehend to bring you to this moment in your life. Reach for my hand. I was sent to help you live through him. The tools and insights I offer were his gifts to me. They are worthless if I can't use them to lift up you.

Take him at his word... Live out John 10:10