Keep walking. Here’s a story by a 40-something hiker whose heart almost failed on him in the past couple years. Walking seven miles with 500 feet of climb is a really big deal if you’re a candidate for a heart transplant.

All I know is that 12 months ago, a cardiologist told me I would likely one day be a heart transplant candidate and then he sent me on my way with a handful of medicine. Six months ago I had a needle in my jugular and a scope in my lungs. And this weekend I stood amid the beauty that is God’s creation. And I can tell you a bed of fallen leaves is much better than the kind of bed you lie in, in a hospital. Even if you have to walk a little ways to get there.

I always know it’s time to slow down when my heart’s beating fast enough that I can hear it. Much cheaper than one of those heart monitors.