Run the race with grace So you know you’re finishing well Goal: the finish line!
Today’s sermon at church was titled, “Running the Race” But the main topic of interest was “Finishing Well.” So my sermon notes today reflect that focus. Come and read the highlights as I heard and recorded them:
2nd Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 “6 As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. 8 From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing… 16 At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Why do people run? Pain, elation, Personal challenge, delirium… Concentrate on how far you’ve come Rather than on where you’ve been.
Feeling stiff and in pain, but knowing I have the ability to endure hard things Gives me the ability to show up for myself So I can therefore show up for others.
Let’s end our journey with peace in our hearts Knowing we have run the race well. The Lord stood by us, gave us strength And gave us perseverance as we served with trust.
Serving in faith, fighting the good fight For mercy, for love… We often stand alone. Feeling lonely and isolated in life’s race, We reach out in ministry to others.
Christ calls us to run the race in faith. Faith transforms us in our disappointments Into opportunities of grace and hope. So finish the race with faithfulness.
See through the things we’ve started With integrity, keeping the faith through change. The glory of your finish will last forever. Run the race… and finish well.
Amen?
Love to you – and best wishes for a race well done! JanBeek
In his book, Catching Whimsey, Bob Goff told about the time he and his wife, “Sweet Maria,” bought his father-in-law’s decrepit old wooden wagon. They bought it so they could restore it to mint condition. I related to Bob Goff’s story because I have friends who have an old wooden wagon in their yard. It has been a part of their family for two or three generations. They treasure it and have restored it to mint condition.
But, in the case of Bob & Maria Goff, after buying sandpaper and paint and nuts and bolts and the tools needed to get started on their immense reconstruction project, there was a huge storm. A hundred-foot tree fell on the wagon. Bob Goff wrote, “We had plenty of firewood that winter, about a hundred feet of tree and one priceless wagon’s worth.”
So what does this have to do with WHIMSEY? Well, ya gotta know Bob Goff! Whimsey is his favorite word!! And in his “Faith Step” at the bottom of the page, he cautions us, “Don’t let today’s challenges break you, and don’t live in fear that a tree might fall on you. Live a life so full of love and whimsey people will think you are made of the stuff.”
In the devotional, In Touch, by Charles Stanley this week, he wrote, “… Authentic Christianity is about becoming rather than doing.”
I was struck by that idea because, as he also wrote, “Probably the greatest obstacle to understanding God’s purpose for brokenness is this: Many think of Christianity as a series of activities. We pray. We read the Bible. We go to church. We worship. We tithe. We do and do and do…”
The devotional went on to say, “The life of faith that God designed involves receiving Jesus into our heart and allowing Him to change us so we become increasingly more like Him.”
1 John 2:6 “Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did.”
“This realization will change our perspective on the heartaches we must endure… When we recognize that the Christian life is about Jesus’ persistent work of “re-creation” in us, then the role of brokenness makes more sense. It’s the process the Lord uses to strip away obstacles to our spiritual growth.
God doesn’t want to be Lord of most of our life, He wants to be Lord of all of our life. He wants us to become more like Him each day: loving, giving, serving, forgiving, teaching others about Christ by our life of love. So, we must BECOME more Christ-like by opening our hearts to Him and asking God to reveal to us anything that hampers that growth.
We can be so busy listening to all the instructions to be cool, aim high, and see the world that we forget to just BE… Just appreciate every moment as a precious gift from God, a chance to reflect, an opportunity to let God know how grateful we are for each day we are given.
Yes, I CAN become… I can become more like Christ… I’m just sitting here thinking about HOW He would like me to BE. What can I do to become more like Him? If it’s about BECOMING instead of DOING, how can I become without doing? Hmmm…
… hello to more trips to Bozeman and to enjoying the fall colors while we go
I can say reluctantly goodbye to green grass and bright flowers
… and say hello to orange sunrises and sunsets and pumpkins
Yes, I can say Hello to cooler days and colder evenings (but we’re not ready for the snow yet!)
Seasons come and seasons go. Company comes and company goes. But family (ah yes, family) stays in our hearts forever regardless of how many times we have to say goodbye!
To what are you ready to say goodbye? And hello to what? Tell me!!
I CAN enjoy Fun Times with family … and I DID!! It’s been quite a week Here I am with our “bonus daughter,” Laina, who lives in Maryland, our grandson, Nick, and his mom, our daughter, DeDe, both of whom flew here from Switzerland.
Our smiles tell you what fun we were having!
DeDe & Laina have been best buddies since their freshman year in high school. Do you have people with whom you have remained friends for 40 years or more?
Laina, my hubby Bob, & Nick enjoyed time together at Wasabi’s in Bozeman, Montana this weekend. Yes, DeDe and I were there, too. It’s a fun place!
Nick entered a “run” on Saturday in Bozeman. Can you believe he ran (or walked when necessary) for a total of 17 miles? Amazing!
No, he didn’t finish in the #1 spot, but what fun he had eating the chocolate from the 1st place medallion that Elaina bought for him!! Gotta keep movin’ to stay fit! Fun times indeed!!
What do you do to stay fit?
When not busy running or dining out, “the kids” found other happy things to do – like a day in Virginia City and a trip to Yellowstone.
Every day we were on the go! Here is Nick at our favorite brunch spot in Bozeman: Jam! If you’re ever in our area, you gotta be sure to make this one of your stops!
We knew how to wait happily for our brunch table!
Back home, you can see that our family time was enhanced by “the pup!” Kenny has loved all the company … extra playmates!
They leave to return to their homes tomorrow. We are certainly going to miss them!
Who have you hosted in your home this summer/fall? I hope you had as much fun with family as we did!
Off to bed now. See ya tomorrow – We’re going to the airport bright and early. Good night!
I can sit quietly and wallow in this life called retirement. Like a child wallowing gleefully in a mud puddle, bouncing, splashing, and a puppy rolling in it, I can roll through my days, bounce from one activity to the next, and make a splash as I enter my 14th year of blogging.
Once upon a time my blog had hundreds of followers but as time went by, things changed, I changed, and priorities changed. Life is like that. But I still maintained my connection with a small group of blogging friends. We have sent sunshine into each other’s lives. Come join us today!
After a few years of dwindling posts, I have decided to return to my quest to encourage love, joy, peace, faith and unity through daily blog posts. Thank you for joining me.
Waking each morning from a restful night’s sleep I can make myself a cup of coffee, climb the circle staircase to my sanctuary, and sit quietly in my rocker. I can (with the help of my hearing aids) hear the ticking of the clock.
I can sync my breathing to the clock’s rhythm. Try it.. You can do it, too. Slow down. Breathe
I can listen for the voice of the Almighty as I rock gently to the rhythm. I can read my daily devotionals and meditate on God’s Word. I can plan my day as I tune in to God’s will for me today.
Praise God! Count my blessings. Pray for my family, friends, country, and this world. Confess my shortcomings, and ask for forgiveness. I CAN live each day with purpose. You can, too. Let’s do!
Let’s sit quietly and ask God for guidance. You with me?
I have had a break from my blog for awhile. Why? Spending time with visiting friends and family this summer and early autumn has taken precedence. Also, for the last 300+ consecutive days I have been doing a daily French lesson on Duolingo. Can I speak French now? No… But I can read and understand some. Time to move on. So, I’m exchanging that focus for now. I’m returning to my daily blog posts. I hope you’ll join me.
Today, I reread a response from a friend who wrote to me back in 2021 with this comment:
“You lit a candle in my mind and heart this morning when I read your blog post … Thank you for spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity through your blog…”
I kept a copy of that blog response in my journal titled, “I Can and I Will, Watch Me!” The entry that day in 2021 was, “I CAN Be an Inspiration.” That is my mission… and I have been neglecting it here on WordPress. But, I’m back!
My journal has 124 entries, each starting with “I Can…” As the “Inspirational Leader” I read one a month last year to my friends at Madison Valley Women’s Club. They responded very favorably to the inspirations. For the next few months, let me share one a day with you, okay? Hopefully you will follow along, and “I Will” be an inspiration to you, too. “Watch Me!”
I CAN Inspire!
I’m not in retirement I’m in re-inspirement Each day a new opportunity To inspire and To be an inspiration grabs me!
What is the secret to being an inspiration?
Love people and Try to understand them.
Reach out in love today.
Sincerely tell at least three people today, “I Love You.”
“Take genuine interest in other people… turn to the person next to you in the grocery store and ask what the highlight of their day has been… Your question … will probably be the highlight of their day.”
That quote is from Bob Goff’s Catching Whimsy, 365 Days of Possibility.
He challenges us with today’s action step:
“Engage the people around you with love and inexplicable curiosity today.”
Time with Saskia & Laszlo is so precious!
I need to be sure and practice “With-ness” with them. God sent them to us so we could really BE with one another.
Who are you going to really be with today? Bob Goff uses Galatians 6:10 to remind us of Jesus’ words to the people: “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone.”
Let them know you are 100% with them … and curious about how life is going with them.
How is life going with you!?
My life is quite lovely. Kenny’s is, too. I hope yours is, also.
