Conversations with Whitney (12 years old)
Setting: car on the way home from Kansas City
Whitney: How ya doin, Mom?
Me: I’m okay.
Whitney: If you need me to drive I can.
Me: Thanks. Maybe at the next rest stop.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Philippians 3:13-14
Philippians 3:13-14 - Focused on the Goal “I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.” (MSG)
A friend asked me a question about the above Scriptures, and I got out Steve’s books from seminary and several different translations of the Scripture and looked at these verses in depth. I chose to print this one because I love the use of the word “running”.
I relate very well with Paul when he says “I’m not saying I have all this together, that I have it made”. You have to know me all of 2 minutes to get that I don’t have it all together. Just as Paul knew he had not reached his goal, he was also aware of his weaknesses. I’m all over that. My weaknesses? Cheesecake, Starbucks, reality television… okay, all kidding aside, I really do know my weaknesses. Without giving too much information, but willing to share a little, there are some things that side track me. Busyness. Life is crazy busy. I try to simplify, I keep things at a minimum as much as possible and I do manage time fairly well. But the age of my kids and my husband’s commitments to taking care of our family and meeting the commitments he has made to serving God put pretty high demands on my time. Satan uses this to get me off focus, filling my time up with good activities to the point that I miss out on time with God. Discouragement and discontent are two that get me down. I think they go hand in hand with busyness, too. Left to fester, these will quickly become oppressive. One of the things I get caught up in most is not waiting for God to work. My actions would show that I think he needs my help. And when I take over, it is never with a good outcome. These are a few of my weak areas. Not sure what Paul’s were. I think sometimes that the Bible is just not long enough. So much more I want to know about these people.
The goal or prize would appear to be eternity with Christ Jesus in Heaven. Once we have accepted Christ as our Savior, Heaven is the start of our eternal lives when our earthly one ends, James 1:12 says that we will receive the crown of life. I would love to have a crown. I always loved those cardboard crowns at Burger King. And the princess sets that came with Tiara’s. But I digress… My son has said “Dad’s 401K is in Heaven”. Not a bad way to look at things.
In some translations, the word “reaching” was used. Reaching was a strong term, used to describe a runner who stretches himself. I think “straining” says it well also. These Scriptures say that this is a calling on our lives, to leave our past where it is, (you gotta put your behind in the past) and look forward, pursue, stretch, strain, reach for the high, heavenly prize, and this is a calling from God.
The runner in me loves this, because when I crossed the finish line in races there are always people at the finish line calling “you can do it”, “almost there” and “great job, hang in there”, etc. cheering for you as you cross the finish line. There are people keeping track of how you did so you get your reward. In my races, the biggest reward has been finishing. But also, I have some tangibles that I consider rewards or prizes. I have my number from each race. I have pictures. I have the free tee shirt. From the half marathon, I have a finisher’s medal. When I reach Heaven, I want rewards. I want to run hard and finish strong. (I also want to do better being an encourager and a cheerleader here on earth).
A friend asked me a question about the above Scriptures, and I got out Steve’s books from seminary and several different translations of the Scripture and looked at these verses in depth. I chose to print this one because I love the use of the word “running”.
I relate very well with Paul when he says “I’m not saying I have all this together, that I have it made”. You have to know me all of 2 minutes to get that I don’t have it all together. Just as Paul knew he had not reached his goal, he was also aware of his weaknesses. I’m all over that. My weaknesses? Cheesecake, Starbucks, reality television… okay, all kidding aside, I really do know my weaknesses. Without giving too much information, but willing to share a little, there are some things that side track me. Busyness. Life is crazy busy. I try to simplify, I keep things at a minimum as much as possible and I do manage time fairly well. But the age of my kids and my husband’s commitments to taking care of our family and meeting the commitments he has made to serving God put pretty high demands on my time. Satan uses this to get me off focus, filling my time up with good activities to the point that I miss out on time with God. Discouragement and discontent are two that get me down. I think they go hand in hand with busyness, too. Left to fester, these will quickly become oppressive. One of the things I get caught up in most is not waiting for God to work. My actions would show that I think he needs my help. And when I take over, it is never with a good outcome. These are a few of my weak areas. Not sure what Paul’s were. I think sometimes that the Bible is just not long enough. So much more I want to know about these people.
The goal or prize would appear to be eternity with Christ Jesus in Heaven. Once we have accepted Christ as our Savior, Heaven is the start of our eternal lives when our earthly one ends, James 1:12 says that we will receive the crown of life. I would love to have a crown. I always loved those cardboard crowns at Burger King. And the princess sets that came with Tiara’s. But I digress… My son has said “Dad’s 401K is in Heaven”. Not a bad way to look at things.
In some translations, the word “reaching” was used. Reaching was a strong term, used to describe a runner who stretches himself. I think “straining” says it well also. These Scriptures say that this is a calling on our lives, to leave our past where it is, (you gotta put your behind in the past) and look forward, pursue, stretch, strain, reach for the high, heavenly prize, and this is a calling from God.
The runner in me loves this, because when I crossed the finish line in races there are always people at the finish line calling “you can do it”, “almost there” and “great job, hang in there”, etc. cheering for you as you cross the finish line. There are people keeping track of how you did so you get your reward. In my races, the biggest reward has been finishing. But also, I have some tangibles that I consider rewards or prizes. I have my number from each race. I have pictures. I have the free tee shirt. From the half marathon, I have a finisher’s medal. When I reach Heaven, I want rewards. I want to run hard and finish strong. (I also want to do better being an encourager and a cheerleader here on earth).
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Endurance
More on endurance, Romans 5:3-5 We can (I CAN) rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
I am continually amazed at how God brings the right Scriptures to me when I need them. Or as I have said before, if you are actively looking and seeking answers from God, they are in front of you. This one, I can relate to so well in the area of physical training and endurance so to make it relevant to spiritual training and endurance was an easy jump.
When I train for a run, I work harder than when I am just exercising. I stick with my training routine and follow it as closely as I can. I learned how valuable this was the very first time I ran in an actual race. Steve could just go out and run the distance he wanted, so he didn’t train like I did. I ran twice during the week, short distances, never more than 5 miles per time, and on the weekend, increased distances from 5 to 8 in preparation to run a 10 mile run. We ran the 10 mile run. I was tired, and sore (and extremely hungry for a couple days), but not as bad as Steve was. Now he did run harder and faster than I did, and came back and ran the last mile with me, making his run a mile longer. But the benefit of training for the run and not just counting on my physical capabilities and strength allowed me to recover faster. The next time we scheduled a race, he trained with me and ran my distances and my days. His recovery was much different, better and faster.
So in an effort to build endurance, I push myself. I go off the beaten path, and run hills, (yes there are hills in Kansas) cross country, in the colder temperatures and in the wind. All of these variants build endurance. They are not fun to undertake, and sometimes I am flat out miserable while I’m running. But I do it because I enjoy the race, and I want to perform to the best of my ability. This does not mean I expect to win, or be the best, I just want to be the best I can. It requires suffering. And I am willing to undertake the suffering to perform better.
So it’s not much of a jump to see how this would relate to my spiritual life, except, at the first time of trouble, I beg God to fix it and take it away from me. If I have the Word of God telling me that this problems and trials will help me develop endurance, character, and a hope that does not lead to disappointment, why would I ask for them to be taken away? I think I should be praying different. If I think about how I deal with my physical training, I can apply that my spiritual trials also and here is what I think I should be doing. I should be asking God for the strength to continue to move forward towards the finish. I should be digging deep into past training and drawing on what worked then and applying it to the problem at hand. When I encounter the uphill battle and the wind, sometimes at the same time, that is when I have to work harder (as my trainer Steve would say) and walk down the hill on the other side. Just like I have training partners in running, I have training partners in life. And they pick me up with their encouragement. Their belief in me sometimes surprises me, because I know they believe I’m stronger than I am. But that belief, those kind words, encouraging words, are like the cheerleaders along the path that yell “you are doing great!” “You are almost there!” “Only 1.8 miles left to go.” One of my favorites was the man that told me and Sheila “looking strong ladies” with about half a kilometer to go. After 9.5 kilometers to still be looking (and feeling) strong was amazing.
This comes at the end of 4 especially troubling weeks for me, lots of trials and unexpected new problems. But if I believe God’s Word, and I do, I CAN rejoice, too, when I run into problems and trials, for I know that they help me develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens my confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For I know how dearly God loves me, because he has given me the Holy Spirit to fill my hearts with his love. (changed we to I for my own benefit). Here's to building endurance!
I am continually amazed at how God brings the right Scriptures to me when I need them. Or as I have said before, if you are actively looking and seeking answers from God, they are in front of you. This one, I can relate to so well in the area of physical training and endurance so to make it relevant to spiritual training and endurance was an easy jump.
When I train for a run, I work harder than when I am just exercising. I stick with my training routine and follow it as closely as I can. I learned how valuable this was the very first time I ran in an actual race. Steve could just go out and run the distance he wanted, so he didn’t train like I did. I ran twice during the week, short distances, never more than 5 miles per time, and on the weekend, increased distances from 5 to 8 in preparation to run a 10 mile run. We ran the 10 mile run. I was tired, and sore (and extremely hungry for a couple days), but not as bad as Steve was. Now he did run harder and faster than I did, and came back and ran the last mile with me, making his run a mile longer. But the benefit of training for the run and not just counting on my physical capabilities and strength allowed me to recover faster. The next time we scheduled a race, he trained with me and ran my distances and my days. His recovery was much different, better and faster.
So in an effort to build endurance, I push myself. I go off the beaten path, and run hills, (yes there are hills in Kansas) cross country, in the colder temperatures and in the wind. All of these variants build endurance. They are not fun to undertake, and sometimes I am flat out miserable while I’m running. But I do it because I enjoy the race, and I want to perform to the best of my ability. This does not mean I expect to win, or be the best, I just want to be the best I can. It requires suffering. And I am willing to undertake the suffering to perform better.
So it’s not much of a jump to see how this would relate to my spiritual life, except, at the first time of trouble, I beg God to fix it and take it away from me. If I have the Word of God telling me that this problems and trials will help me develop endurance, character, and a hope that does not lead to disappointment, why would I ask for them to be taken away? I think I should be praying different. If I think about how I deal with my physical training, I can apply that my spiritual trials also and here is what I think I should be doing. I should be asking God for the strength to continue to move forward towards the finish. I should be digging deep into past training and drawing on what worked then and applying it to the problem at hand. When I encounter the uphill battle and the wind, sometimes at the same time, that is when I have to work harder (as my trainer Steve would say) and walk down the hill on the other side. Just like I have training partners in running, I have training partners in life. And they pick me up with their encouragement. Their belief in me sometimes surprises me, because I know they believe I’m stronger than I am. But that belief, those kind words, encouraging words, are like the cheerleaders along the path that yell “you are doing great!” “You are almost there!” “Only 1.8 miles left to go.” One of my favorites was the man that told me and Sheila “looking strong ladies” with about half a kilometer to go. After 9.5 kilometers to still be looking (and feeling) strong was amazing.
This comes at the end of 4 especially troubling weeks for me, lots of trials and unexpected new problems. But if I believe God’s Word, and I do, I CAN rejoice, too, when I run into problems and trials, for I know that they help me develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens my confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For I know how dearly God loves me, because he has given me the Holy Spirit to fill my hearts with his love. (changed we to I for my own benefit). Here's to building endurance!
Here are a couple pictures from my first endurance event, my half marathon. I love the one with the cow. He was actually on the trail. Does this count for running with the bulls?
It really was more fun than I look like I'm having.
Mile 3
Mile 8.5
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