365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 222 & 223

Despite being out-of-shape, I managed to survive a 5 mile round-trip hike on the Fern Lake trail in Rocky Mountain National Park. I was the slow-poke of the family. This trip through the forest was a testament to perseverance. My attitude was focused on getting to “The Pool” which was our destination. It was a lovely spot and worthy of the effort. It make me think of our spiritual journey with the Lord. It can be difficult with moments where you need to stop and stretch or times when you need to take a break for some water. There can even be times when you contemplate turning back or just stopping to catch your breath. These times in our spiritual journey are times when we get into our bible, pray or talk with a fellow believer. Our journey through life is difficult just as a hike up a mountain can be when you are not in the best of shape but with the right focus and those moments of prayer, study and worship the Lord gives us what we need to continue that hike. Those stretching breaks, water up times and rests for breathe provide us the strength to keep going. Be sure to do your stretches, drink your water and breathe in the living word of God and you will be able to preserve and enjoy the moments along the way.

Hebrews 12: 1 …and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 138

I watched a show I have never watched before last night called Undercover Boss. I heard from my co-workers that the CMO of ADT was going to go undercover. Since I deal with ADT a lot in my job, I thought it might be interesting. So the CMO went undercover as a reality TV show contestant who could earn money to start his own security company. He basically trained with several different people in the company at various jobs. All of the people were passionate about their job and shared with him some life struggles they were going through. In the end, he talks with them as the real him and lets them know some plans that are being set in place based on what he learned from them and they all got rewarded with money to help in their struggles. This was certainly a marketing idea to be on this show as it only showed ADT in a good light. It was very comforting to see the reactions to the rewards ADT was giving these employees. The last one was the most touching. He was a technician who had mostly to work on the weekends keeping him from his family but it was a must just so they could make ends meat. He was passionate about his job, respectful and courteous. He said he knew good things would come if he just kept going. Perseverance will be rewarded.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 108

During some of my wakeful hours during the night, the TV show The Amazing Race ran through my thoughts and I started to see the connections in the show to our lives. For those that may not have seen The Amazing Race, it is a traveling race around the world where pairs of people travel from one country to another and in between have road blocks and speed bumps that they must get through. These pairs of people are all mixed from spouses to best friends to brothers. Now some of these pairs work well together and have no trouble but for others the challenges they face bring out their worst. These road blocks and speed bumps often have to do with overcoming fears such as fear of heights but also have to do with working past something you don’t do well like swim. Some of them can be difficult and you need to have perseverance and patience. Some of these teams get into trouble because they are in too much of a hurry and will not read the clues carefully. Other teams will just make the wrong choices and end up lost or at a challenge they cannot conquer. We are living out our own amazing race. We aren’t necessarily traveling the world but the concept of going through change and seeing new things we do go through. We need to be partnering up with the Holy Spirit for our race. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, we will find ourselves lost, impatient and a whole host of other negatives. But with the Holy Spirit, we will be guided and given all that we need to overcome the challenges we all face in our lives. However, it is a partnership and like any relationship it takes two. We have to do our part in this partnership by praying, studying and reflecting. Take the time today to reflect on how well you are running the amazing race of your life.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 89

Ever heard of fog in the brain? It is a symptom of perimenapause or menapause when you are in a non-thinking, doing anything kind of mode. Your brain just can't engage in anything. I had it yesterday and ended up wasting most of my day because I couldn't think. It's one of my obstacles in reaching my goal of having a successful faithbooking ministry, along with all the other symptoms my body likes to throw at me like migraines and naseau. It is these kinds of times when I feel the most discouraged and down about things. I feel like giving up. But because of my master mind group, I was reminded about the power of affirmations and that I need to create one that would help me get through these down periods. I thought about God and a couple of character traits he has: perserverence and patience. He didn't give up on me. He perservered and kept at me until I finally saw the light. And that didn't happen overnight, so he had to be patient and wait for the time to come. So, with God's help I can perservere through the down times and be patient and wait for the blessings that God has in store for me and this ministry. Keep laying the foundation... I will perservere and be patient for God's timing.
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entagles, and let us run with perserverance the race marked out for us.