Running Across the Third Longest Bridge in the World

Mission: To run non-stop across the approximately 5-mile long Mackinaw Bridge, Michigan





Result: Accomplished in 34 minutes and 11 seconds



Official Photographer of the Event: Heidi!





Governor Jennifer Granholm was among those who came to witness Christian Martin's accomplishment.







Christian's favorite and #1 Fan: His beloved wife, Heidi!

Countdown: 5 weeks (Due: October 11!)

Wild At Heart Retreat - August 6th and 7th

"Adventure, with all its requisite danger and wildness, is a deeply spiritual longing written into the soul of man. The masculine heart needs a place where nothing is prefabricated, modular, nonfat, zip lock, franchised, on-line, microwavable. Where there are no deadlines, cell phones, or committe meetings. Where there is room for the soul."
- John Eldredge



"The deepest desire of our hearts is for union with God. God created us for union with himself. This is the original purpose of our lives."
- Brennan Manning



"The spiritual life cannot be made suburban. It is always frontier, and we who live in it must accept and even rejoice that it remains untamed."
- Howard Macey





"The heart of a man is like deep water..." - Proverbs 20:5 NKJV



"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
- Gil Bailie



"Adventure requires something of us, puts us to the test. Though we may fear the test, at the same time we yearn to be tested, to discover that we have what it takes. There is something wild in the heart of every man." - John Eldredge





Day 1 = 12+miles on Manistee River Trail, river swimming
Night 1 = One-man tent, no poles, pocket-knife cut rods for support, unmarked territory, animal cries, pitch blackness
Day 2 = 12+miles on North Country Trail, creek drinking

"Safe? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good."
- C.S. Lewis

Martinology Comes Forth with the Fourth

Martinology is finally back! After hours of sleepless nights and numerous anxious moments (....close enough), we are finally back on board. Due to our new location in Cadillac, MI, dial-up was not doing it....until we finally got connected with high-speed. Of course, a lot has happened since we last shared. For one, we're expecting a baby in October, Heidi is pregnant, and we now live in Cadillac, MI. Christian's mom and dad came to visit for the 4th of July.....so here are a few images:



ABOVE: We had a drive-way fireworks grand-finale action of our own on the fourth, (Christian would like to say that they were going off right at his shorts, but they are approximately 13 yards away....) Here are some other pictures:

Christian and his dad, Carlos, did a major makeover of the backyard (dad gets most of the credit!) and we later enjoyed an outdoor picnic in our "new park."









Heidi showing a little something in the belly area!



Sleeping Bear Dunes:
















There's very few things that beat eating a pizza half Greek and half Thailand Coconut Curry, talking Spanish, and proudly wearing Brazilian colors in the United State's independance day, while watching fireworks.....