Monday Chuckles

I'm so thankful for my many friends and family who keep me smiling!

And a special thanks to the sidewalk chalk artists in my neighborhood who continue to inspire!

I was at Target on Saturday.  I may have sent this picture to a friend or two...

Happy Monday!  Make it a great day!

2020 Vision

Last night during Youth Service I had an interesting thought drop in my heart.  This happened during announcements, not during the preaching!  I really did pay attention.

I know a lot of people choose One Little Word or a Word of the Year each year.  I've only done that once before in 2015 when I chose "Reset."  I like the concept, but don't always have a word that comes to me.  But don't you think the year 2020 is a perfect year for the word Vision?

What will I do with this word?  At this point it's little more than a concept.  I do plan to study each case in the Bible when someone had a vision or when the word vision is used. The word vision is found 79 times in 73 verses.  For today, I just wanted to get the idea written down.

Key verse will be Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."  I found some very interesting commentary on this verse:

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible said this:
Where Divine revelation, and the faithful preaching of the sacred testimonies, are neither reverenced nor attended, the ruin of that land is at no great distance.

The Pulpit Commentary said this:
The revelation of ancient prophecy was not continuous and uninterrupted, but it came in flashes, between which there were intervals of darkness. Sometimes those intervals were long and most distressing to a people that had learnt to draw its chief lessons from Divine oracles. Such a time was experienced in the days of Eli, for "the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no open vision" (1 Samuel 3:1); and another and longer period was that of the "four centuries of silence" between the closing of the Old Testament and the opening of the New Testament.

A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments by Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown broke it down like this:
no vision — instruction in God’s truth, which was by prophets, through visions (see 1 Samuel 3:1).
people perish — are deprived of moral restraints.

As an election year, I feel sure that 2020 will have its share of challenges and drama.  Instruction in God's truth, not what the media or politicians want to sell, is what we need to see clearly.

Do you choose a word for your year?  Have you chosen one yet?

Remarkable

Les and Lance have now pedaled their way into their eighth of nine states!  They crossed the Mississippi/Alabama border this morning and are nearing the 2300 mile mark.  They have had an amazing trip and if all continues as planned they will reach Savannah, Georgia and the Atlantic Ocean this Friday!!

But let me tell you about someone else who is remarkable - my neighbor, Joe.  I introduced him on this blog over eight years ago.  He is one of many smiling faces I see on a regular basis when I'm out running or riding my bike.  Joe is an avid hiker and always has a smile for me.

About a month ago Les and I saw Joe while we were on a bike ride.  It was just a quick, "Good morning!" but I told Les, "Joe didn't seem himself."  Les wondered how I could tell in such a short greeting, but I just knew.

Fast forward to this morning while I was out for a run.  I saw Joe up ahead and determined to catch him.  I slowed to a walked when I caught him.  Our conversation started off like this:

Me:  How are you, Joe?
Joe:  I'm great!
Me:  You didn't seem yourself when I saw you a few weeks ago, are you okay?
Joe:  Well, I had my toes cut off...

To make a long story short, due to poor circulation, Joe's feet were not getting adequate blood supply.  In June he had the toes of his right foot removed and in July had the same procedure done on his left foot.  He is now walking on stumps.  He said he was in a lot of pain prior to the surgery but has had none since.  The main thing that has changed is the length of his stride, but his sunny outlook hasn't changed a bit.

I asked Joe if he had been able to resume hiking.  "I wanted to hike a certain mountain on my 80th birthday and I did just that on Wednesday!"  I am so in awe of this man!  80 years young, walking three miles, 5 days a week and in his words, "working at the Senior center to help those less fortunate," the other two days!

Joe reached his turn around point and we said goodbye for the day.  I finished my run with a huge smile on my face!  What an inspiration!

Becoming a Life Champion

Tuesday night was another fantastic message by Bro. Robert Henson.  His title was "Becoming a Life Champion!"  Focus:  Successfully Living the Christ Life.

Life Champions are:
1) Victors 
2) Overcomers

God wants you to be saved!  Satan designs his attacks where we are weakest, but God provides divine assistance.

Victor
Victor = a conqueror; a person who defeats an adversary; one who vanquishes an enemy.
This speaks of a victory so overwhelming that the adversary never again arises from the dust of defeat to offer any challenge to the believer.

Romans 8:35-39 speaks of the victor:
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 

Overcomer
Overcomer = one who prevails in a struggle or conflict; a person who overcomes difficulties; one who surmounts (comes over) opposition, debilities, weaknesses and/or temptations.
Overcomers, with great resolve, continue to fight on.

There are some enemies that I have been able to annihilate, but there are some enemies that I am still fighting.  I still face opposition, but by God's grace I'm an overcomer, still fighting. One of the favorite tactics of the devil is to say, "You must not really be saved if you're still struggling."  This is not true!  As long as you keep fighting, overcoming, you are a Life Champion. 

I took a "few" notes

Children of Israel

At the Red Sea, the Lord made the children of Israel victors.  Not one Egyptian survived.  They never fought Egypt again!

It was in the Land of Promise that the children of Israel became overcomers!

The Red Sea experience lasted 36-48 hours.  Completely overcoming the Promise Land lasted for years.  Most of us spend more time in the promise land than at the Red Sea! Deuteronomy 7:22 says, "And the Lord thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little."  Little by little the children of Israel overcame their enemies.

In Judges 3:1-4, the Lord gave three reasons why Israel was not given immediate victory and occupancy of the entire Land of Promise:
So that the Israelites would learn and know how to fight the enemy.
So that their children would learn and know how to fight the enemy.
So that it could be discovered whether or not the Children of Israel would be obedient unto the Lord and His Word and to the leadership He had appointed over His people. 

You and I

Key understanding:  You and I experience both types of spiritual warfare.

Some adversaries Jesus helps us crush once - drug addiction, alcohol, cigarettes.  The other level is conflicts that we face everyday such as lust, pride, anger, poor attitudes, jealousy.

As born again children of God we have three main enemies with whom we contend: the devil, our flesh, and the world.  Our biggest enemy is our own flesh but "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Phil 4:13)  2 Corinthians 2:11 says, "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."  Christ will keep us from being outsmarted by the devil.

Key understanding:  FORGIVENESS plays a key role in our overcoming!

We have a much more difficult time overcoming when we don't forgive.  Unforgiveness is the most employed strategy of Satan.  We must forgive others and ourselves.  Those who don't forgive themselves live under constant condemnation.  Don't live with unrelenting regrets.  God doesn't expect you to continue grieving over what you cannot change.

Key understanding:  If you are currently fighting the good fight of faith, you are participating, even now, in championship living!

The book of Revelation addresses numerous promises to the overcomers!  Not one time are the promises made to victors.

Revelation 2:7 "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life."
Revelation 2:11 "He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death."
Revelation 2:17 "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.."
Revelation 2:26 and 28 "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations...and I will give him the morning star."
Revelation 3:5 "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels."
Revelation 3:12 "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name."
Revelation 3:21 "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne."
Revelation 21:7  "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." - Overcomers inherit ALL THINGS!! 

This was such an outstanding message!  Just re-reading my notes this morning was inspiring.  God loves overcomers!  And right on time, there was this simple quote in my email box:

Today you can choose to live the rest of your life as a Life Champion! 

Starting 2016 Without 2015

I started a new devotional this morning.  It's called "Everywhere I Go:  Learning to See Jesus."  There is a short devotional to read then several chapters in the Bible.  Today's devotional was "The Red Lizard of Lust," by C.S. Lewis:

Author C. S. Lewis spins a remarkable story about a little red lizard that a certain ghost carried on his shoulder. The lizard twitched its tail and whispered continually to the ghost, who urged him all the while to be quiet.

When a bright and shining presence appeared and offered to rid the ghost of his troublesome “baggage,” the ghost refused. He understood that to quiet the lizard, it would be necessary to kill it, and that seemed too harsh. Maybe the lizard need not die, but could be trained, he reasoned. The presence responded that training would not work; it must be all or nothing.

Finally, with the ghost’s permission, the presence twisted the lizard away from him, breaking its back as he flung it to the ground. Then an amazing thing happened. The ghost became a perfect man, and the lizard became a beautiful silver and gold stallion, full of power and grace. The man leaped astride the great horse, and they rode into the morning as one.

Lewis ends the story with these words: “What is a lizard compared with a stallion? Lust is a poor, weak, whimpering, whispering thing compared with that richness and energy of desire which will arise when lust has been killed.”

As we step into a brand new year, we think about a new start.  As long as we are carrying last year's lizard (baggage) we won't be able to go forward.  What are you carrying from 2015 that is still whispering in your ear?  Did you set some goals that you didn't meet?  Were you hurt, talked about, or mistreated?  Maybe you were the one who did the hurting.

Getting the lizard off your back might may take a little work.  A phone call or an apology.  You may just have to let some things go.  Hit the reset button, again.  When you get 2015's lizard off your back, be ready for the ride of 2016!

Thursday Thoughts

I received two great quotes this week from Runner's World and I really have nothing to add, just wanted to share.

How you do anything is how you do everything. 
– Kristin Armstrong 

Growth and comfort seldom ride the same horse. 
–  Unknown

Have you read any good quotes lately?

Beautiful

I've been blessed to see some amazing sights in my life. The Colosseum and Pantheon in Rome.  The Rialto Bridge in Venice.  Cathedrals in Europe.  The Mall in Washington, DC with its many monuments ~ the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, the White House.  I've crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and walked through art galleries with inspiring paintings.

I've also seen God's creation at its finest.  An unfolding rose and the turning leaves of Fall.  I've seen a hawk soaring overhead and watched a deer leap across my trail.  I've hiked to the top of falls in Yosemite and walked along the fine sands of the Gulf of Mexico.  I've walked the top of the Haleakala crater on Maui and kayaked a river in Kauai.

But there is nothing quite as beautiful as what I witnessed last night.  It was at the end of service, while we gathered for prayer.  Eight year old, Mariah, gathered with us.  She wasn't sitting quietly next to her mother, or even playing around with one of her friends.  Mariah was seeking God with her whole heart.  As tears streamed down her cheeks, I think God must have loved the sight even more because He came down and refilled her with His precious Spirit.

Something deep inside me is touched when I see a child praying.  I see such potential and feel such hope.  I know that God can keep them.  Yes, they'll face troubles in life ~ we all do.  But the scars that many adults carry due to a life a sin can be avoided in one so young if they will keep coming back to that beautiful place in God's presence. I know that God can turn lives around ~ He's so good at it.  But He is also good at keeping His children in the palm of His hand.  In my eyes, there's just nothing more beautiful.

Mom and Dad, have you prayed with your child today?

Inspiration Update

The Boston Marathon happened yesterday. Clarence Hartley finished it in 4 hours, 26 minutes and 25 seconds. Remember Clarence? He's 81 and the oldest runner in this year's Boston Marathon. He was first in his age division. 20,185th overall out of 24,338 entrants. So he pass several thousand runners younger than him just as he predicted! Absolutely amazing.


The men's elite winner, Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya, established a new marathon record, crossing the finish line in 2:03:02. Geoffrey is 29 years old, he ran at 4 minutes, 42 seconds a mile! That is FAST! Clarence, at 81, ran his marathon at a 10 minute, 10 second per mile pace. That is also FAST!!

Inspiration

My latest Runner's World magazine had an article about a man who is running the Boston Marathon for the first time. He's fought in two wars and battled cancer two times, but now he's running what many consider "the" marathon to run - one that has difficult qualifying times for each age group. Oh, and he's 81 years old! Yes, Clarence Hartley, qualified to run the Boston Marathon but before that he fought in Korea and Vietnam. He served in the Air Force for 24 years, including flying more than 100 combat missions.

Hartley started running in 1998 when he was 68. In 2005, he ran his first marathon in 4 hours, 9 minutes and qualified for the Boston Marathon. He put his race on hold because he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and had to go through chemo. Two years later he found out he had prostate cancer. Once again he's healthy and running about 25 to 30 miles a week. And he re-qualified for Boston in 4 hours, 39 minutes (he needed 5 hours).

He admits there isn't much competition in his own age group, but plans on "beating several thousand younger runners," he says. While I find this whole story amazing and inspiring, here is the quote that made me smile the most:

It's fun being old when you're healthy and in shape.

I want to be like that when I grow up!

Who Inspires You?

In my Weight Watcher meeting yesterday we played a little game. There were six questions on the white board and we needed to find a member to fit each one. The questions were: Who is a Lifetime Member? Who is a brand new member? Who drove the farthest to attend the meeting? Who has an unusual job or hobby? Who is dedicated to attending meetings each week? And finally, Who inspires you?

It was a fun way to get acquainted with more of the members and I was surprised to hear more than one person say that I inspire them. It made me think of how often we DON'T tell people that they inspire us. And since it meant a lot to me to hear it, I thought I would share some of the people who inspire me.

Les ~ my husband is amazing. He works hard at his job, but he is always looking at other avenues in life to be creative. When he was working on his masters degree, he was working full time. During those two years, he decided to learn how to play the bass guitar! He is never satisfied with mediocre. His Sunday school lessons are always top notch - I always learn something new! No matter how tired he is, he always studies, putting much time in to each lesson. He also taught me how to mountain bike!

Mom and Dad ~ 40 years of marriage doesn't happen without a lot of work. Raising four children, one with severe medical problems, isn't easy. Mom and Dad weren't always in agreement, but they were committed to the long haul. Neither of them ever walked away.

Grandma Ruby ~ if anyone inspired me to live healthy it was Grandma Ruby! She walked everyday. She always ate lots of fruits and vegetables. She was never overweight. And she lived to be 90!

Missionaries ~ I have always loved reading stories about missionaries - from the Freemans to the Alvears and many, many others. Sis. Tiffany Bracken is in Taiwan with her husband and two children - her blog is inspiring! As is The Wakefields in Mexico. I've also enjoyed following Jarron Brown and his recent moved to Peru (Jarron, I know you're not a missionary, but you're close!)

So many friends inspire me in so many ways. Bloggers who I haven't seen in years. Pastors and pastors' wives. REAL saints who live what they believe everyday.

Who inspires you?