Psa 17:5 My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped.
Today, a friend and I were doing speed work. Speed work is so hard for me. Anyway, today, the track had wet grass on parts of it for some reason. As I rounded the curves, I concentrated on my foot steps so that I would not slip.
In the same way with our walk with God, we must hold fast to our paths. We must keep in step with His truth and word. His path will keep us from slipping.
Psa 119:162 I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil
Nothing like a nice cup of coffee to jump start an early morning run! My morning ritual, as you know is to get up read my Bible and have a little coffee to get me through the morning. One day, I overslept and had to run out the door to meet my friend to run. It was an early am run, so I could not cancel. No one should run in the dark alone! Anyway, I didn’t have my usual coffee and I did not read my Bible until later. My body felt a bit slow as we were taking our usual run. Anyway, reading the Word is the best way to get your mind going in the right direction in the mornings. Take a few extra minutes to read and pray. See how it goes for a while, and this will soon become a daily habit for you. Blessings!
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth”--Psalm 145:18
I was looking forward to a nice easy run in the beautiful fall weather this afternoon. I had class all weekend, and I mean all weekend (Friday-Sunday). I could not wait to just go outside and feel the natural air in my lungs and the warm sunshine on my skin. However, as soon as I walked out of my house and onto the road, a heaviness came over me. I felt heavy in heart and body. I felt that my legs would hardly go because my mind was preoccupied with some issues that hit me when I got home from class. So many different trials seem to be present at this time. However, sometimes, I can easily escape the anxieties. However, today was different. As soon as I began running, I began praying diligently. The run seemed to not get any easier because I was so intense in my thoughts and prayers. However, I was praying for others on my mind as well, that I felt so heavily burdened for at the time. Right when I was at my half way point, which was a short distance, a truck slowed down and the man inside rolled down his window. Af first, I thought it was someone asking for directions. The look on my face must have been so serious, because my mind was in that mode. Then I realized, it was some friends. The man and his wife have been long time family friends. They are such a family of faith and prayer. I often go to the wife for words of wisdom and advice. Anyway, I have never seen this couple driving through the town in which I live. God knew exactly what I needed because the man said..”we are praying for y’all”. I felt as though God sent those encouraging words my way at the right time to let me know that everything will be ok. I was so thankful and encouraged. The rest of my run felt great, and my heart felt a sense of relief. I felt as though that couple were in tune to God. I felt that He sent them along the particular path I was running at that particular time just for me! God knows our deepest needs and how to encourage us in times of doubt!
Luk 6:23 "Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
I do not know about you, but rewards are great! After a long training run, I enjoy taking a hot bubble bath and just soaking. Sometimes, I come right home, make a smoothie and get the bath started. Other times, some friends and I go for a “Starbucks” run. We leave from Starbucks, and when we get back we spoil ourselves with a delicious coffee or tea. After running a race, it’s nice to get an award. I have some friends who are quite fast and receive many awards after their races.
God is so good to us. He gives us blessings everyday, and we do not have to do anything to achieve the blessings, but to receive Jesus into our lives as our personal Lord and Savior. Then, we want to serve Him and others. The greatest reward is that we get to spend eternity with Him forever one day. Heaven is far better than any of us can imagine. There will be no wants or desires, we will be fully satisfied without any worldly matters getting in our way. Christian, remember your eternal reward, and let this boost you in your daily circumstances. Seekers, look to Him. Ask Him for the eternal reward. I promise, it will be far better than any man made reward!
Blessings to you all!
Isa 26:4 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.
When we run, we are always moving, whether we are sprinting or doing a slow jog. The movement allows us go from one point to the next, increase our fitness levels, and work different muscles. However, we cannot move forever. We usually slow down and walk to recover and eventually we stop the movement to rest. Our bodies can go far, probably further than we think, but, they cannot go on forever.
God is quite different, He never ceases. He is always on the move. His work in the hearts of people continue. He does not need to recover, like we do. God will listen to you anytime of the day. He is the eternal Rock.
Psa 86:10 For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.
Sometimes everything in our lives can seem overwhelming and intense. These times are tough. During these times, running may seem either like a stress relief or another task tagged onto everything else, but we know we have to run in order to be physically and mentally healthy! When it seems like there is not enough room for another added something in our life, let’s remember that Jesus is our true source of stress relief and not just another added responsibility. He has taken us as His responsibility. Let’s freely give our circumstances and issues over to Him. He will relieve our stress.
2Cr 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
As a runner training, one can find himself/herself bogged down with a rigorous schedule. He/she fears missing a training run or ride. Anxiety binds us to our routines sometimes. However, we cannot always make the run that we intended to run in our schedule. Sometimes, we let this one change of plan ruin our whole week. We look to find some extra training time somewhere in the week to make up for the missed appointment with the road. When we become so fixed on our schedule that we cannot enjoy the other aspects of our lives, we are not living in the freedom that God has called us to live. He does not want us bound up in rules that we cannot freely live. Christian, are you living in freedom? Searching one, do you understand the freedom that comes with a relationship with Jesus? I ask all of us to pray about the freedom of Christ in our lives. Ask Him to reveal this pleasure to you.
2Cr 1:20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
Often, as runners, we find ourselves making promises to ourselves. We promise that we will try a little harder next time, run a little faster, give ourselves a break, eat healthier, get up earlier... You get the point. However, we are not always able to keep these promises. In fact there are many life situations where perhaps we have broken a serious promise. Maybe the promise broken was in a job situation, a marriage, a promise to our friends, etc.
As humans, we find it hard to keep every promise, even though our intentions are to keep the promises.
The good news remains that God never breaks a promise. His promises have always come to pass historically, and they continue to hold true. Have you trusted God? Do you believe in His promises. He will not fail us. With uncertain times, let’s receive the promises that He has given us and cling on to them.
Psa 119:32 I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!
I am on vacation, so this is not too much of a blog. I will just say, may we run the way that God wants us to the way that we run for a PR.
Psa 147:1 Praise the Lord ! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.
As we run, may our hearts be thankful for the health He has given us. May we rejoice at His constant provision in our lives day after day. May we not lose sight of the Lord our God. Praise Him!
Gal 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
On a beautiful morning run on Fernandina Beach of Amelia Island, I found a sand dollar. I was so thrilled, as I find shells and sea life so fascinating. I had my water bottle in one hand, and my ipod in the other. My shorts did not have any pockets. I had to take this sand dollar back to the house to show my parents. I held it gently in my left hand. However, by the time that I got back to the road, the ipod was irritating my hip. I decided to throw my water away so that I could hold the sand dollar in one had and the ipod in the other. Off I went down the. I was almost home when the sand dollar slipped out of my hand and fell onto the road and broke into many many pieces. I was so disappointed. What came to my mind was delicacy of life. Our lives are so delicate. At any given moment, our lives can be changed, hurt, lost, or broken. God graciously gives us each day. Let’s make the most of every opportunity that He grants us.
Phl 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in [fn] Christ Jesus our Lord.
Do you ever eat something before you go for a run that you just know that you should not have eaten? I have done this, and then regretted it because I get heart burn, and the rest of my run is uncomfortable.
In life, sometimes we put things into our minds and hearts that should not be there. Sin grieves the Spirit. We are all sinners, but by God’s grace we are free from living in guilt when we accept Jesus into our lives. As Christians, let’s think on His Word an the truth so that our hearts will stay focused on the pure things. If you do not know Him, know that your heart can live in freedom from sin too.
Psalm 27:14 "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."
As runners, sometimes we become injured. We may have a pulled muscle or some other sort of injury. Our anxieties often lead us to the running trail before our injury has had time to heal. Many times, all we need is a few days of nursing our wound and getting some rest. Then we are able to get back out on the road. We are often stronger if we wait on the healing rather than going back to soon and re-injuring ourselves.
In our daily lives, we become over anxious with circumstances. We desire a quick fix. We want things done in our timing. God has His own timing for us, and it’s the best timing. Most often, I find that life’s circumstances work out better if I wait on God’s direction and wisdom without rushing to try and fix things myself. What are you trying to fix that does not need to be fixed today? Are you trying to fix someone, your job, your finances, your children? Let’s seek God and wait for Him. We will be stronger by His grace.
Rom 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, [fn] for those who are called according to his purpose.
Do you ever find that sometimes certain aspects of your running or exercise routine don’t work out right. Perhaps you miss a day’s training. Maybe you do not get to go as long or fast as you want to go. The case may be that you can’t run on the road because of your work schedule so you have to go to the gym and run on the treadmill. You may be injured, and therefore, you have to rest for a period of time before running again. Sometimes, those little details can get aggravating. If we lived in the perfect world, we would have a running schedule that would never get jolted by the inconvenience of life’s obstacles.
In our walk with God, sometimes days just do not go as we would like them to go. Maybe we do not get everything done that we had intended. Another issue could be that a relationship is not going as we would like it to go. Perhaps a job loss has occurred. One wonderful part of being in God’s family is that whatever happens to us, He will use it for the good. We do not have to despair when obstacles come our way. The only stipulation is that we are seeking Him and His will. He will bring all things to pass just as He intends. Christian, try not to get frustrated with the day’s obstacles. Rather look for Him in all of the moments whether they are positive ones or negative ones. If you are not in a relationship with God, give in to Him. He will change you, and your mindset on the trials and obstacles.
1Cr 10:12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!
Running in the dark and falling is not an enjoyable experience. Today, I was taking my usual morning dark run with my friend and our headlamps. My head lamp was dim, and the morning seemed particularly dark. We were chatting away about our life issues and enjoying one another’s camaraderie when I took the crash. I was not watching my step, perhaps I had become too confident in my familiarity with the trail. Over a bump and root in the path I went stumbling. I crashed to the ground and felt light headed. My thoughts went to the negative that maybe I had broken a bone. Had others been around, maybe my pride would have been hurt. Praise the Lord, no broken bones or sore joints to report. I escaped with a few bruises and a pavement burned hand.
God so often protects us from the near disasters of the world. We often hurt ourselves a little and He brings us back to the realization of His power and path. Sometimes, we must fall from our pride to be humbled. Let’s keep looking to Him and not get distracted by letting the dark creep into our lives.
Isa 40:31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Running can make us tired and weary. Sometimes, we feel that we cannot move another inch. I know during a marathon, I wonder how I will make those last six miles. I find myself praying quite often. Maybe you are not feeling well or you are tired, and your legs feel so heavy that they will hardly move. We all experience these kinds of running days. We desire to be without weariness, but our bodies feel exhausted.
We experience these same feelings in other realms of our lives. Our work, our schooling, our relationships, and other obligations can feel overwhelming. We feel that we cannot keep the pace of life that we are going. We sometimes want to just give up and not try anymore. God has greater plans for us when we trust in Him. He will help us in our time of need. One day, we will even be with Him without any extra load. However, now, let’s enjoy the life that He has given us and allow Him to have control so that life will not feel so heavy.
Psa 33:11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.
Have you ever been on a run and had stomach issues? I have been running long enough, as well as some of my friends, where at some point in time, this issue is inevitable. When this happens, you have to stop here and there, and hopefully, there is a bathroom along your route or some woods. Your run does not go as planned, and you usually do not feel too well. Maybe the issue is from what you ate the night before or did not eat, or perhaps you took too many gels along the way. By all means, you did not intend to get sick during your run.
This similar occurrence happens along our paths of life. We sometimes get sick, or a circumstance hinders our plans. We take longer to accomplish what needs to be accomplished, and sometimes what we set out to do does not get done. Part of life is the obstacles that we must face. God is with us all of the way. We must continue to seek HIm even in the roughest times when it feels as though He is not there. Though our plans do not go as we thought they should go, God often has a different plan in mind. All along the way, we must continue to walk with Him. He knows what we are going through.
Isa 55:2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
I do not know what you think, but running can be an addiction. We sometimes feel that if we do not get our routine runs in for the week that something is missing. We have all heard that when we run, we release certain endorphins that make us feel good..the so called “runners high”. I think at some point, I researched this, and it is true. Running is a good therapy for people who have anxiety and depression. However, we need to be comfortable with missing a run. Some of us allow missing a run to ruin our entire day and rule our mood.
Not only can running be an addiction, but there are many other addictions. These addictions could be relationships, drugs/alcohol, food, internet, television, spending money, etc. You get the point. We can consume our lives with these habits until they become addictive. Addictions can become controlling over our emotions. Some of the above listed things are not bad, in fact they can be good. I will be the first to say that I would run every day if I could. The question is..when does it interfere with other functions of life? We should seek to find our fulfillment in God. We are all at different places in our lives. Ask God to show you where He is not first and where other things are taking control over you.
Psa 111:7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy;
As runners, we know that our running friends are for the most part reliable. They will meet you at 5:00 am to get in the day’s run, they will run with you in the rain, they will run with you when you are having a hard running day, they will stop if you need to stop, and they will call you if their plans don’t work out to run. I am thankful for all of the friends that God has placed along my running paths. I have had different phases of life, when I was a lone runner (of course God was with me), but I enjoy when God blesses me with running friends.
God is also reliable. He will never fail us. He always shows up to meet us, but we do not always show up to meet with Him. He is ready to listen to our prayers and help us through each day. He does not even get sick or oversleep. We can depend on Him in storms and times of peace. If you are in need of some help, an encourager, a reliable and unchanging friend, ask God to be that for you. He is waiting.
Gal 1:10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
As a runner, we receive much applause, but we also receive some criticism. The criticism usually comes from those who have never been runners. Sometimes, a non runner will
suggest that we runners will have bad knees one day or that we will damage our hips. They tell us that we are ruining our feet. These are just a few of the examples, that I have personally heard. However, I try not to dwell on these things. A recent article in a health magazine stated that research suggests that the benefits of running far outweigh the negatives, that most knee and hip injuries do not come from running, and that non runners have more ill health issues than runners. The research comes from two scholarly journals (Southern Medical Journal and Journal of Anatomy).
As Christians, many of us face this kind of criticism at our jobs, our schools, from our friends, and our family. People may ask us, “how can you live for someone who we cannot see or how do we know that we are “right” about Jesus”. This is where I feel that we are not wasting our time in our relationships with Jesus. If we are wrong, oh well, at least we lived our lives with purpose. Let’s not give up doing what we are doing because we receive negativity from others. Pray for all people and seek to share His love with them. Our reward is not on earth. Keep running this marathon of life with passion.
Not much to say today...I’m tired but feel that I must at least share a verse.
Blessings!
Hbr 12:3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Running can be boring. Most people who do not run often ask runners, “don’t you get bored?” I personally find running to become boring when I must run the same route receptively for numerous days. I have been in certain circumstances when I have had to take the same route. Yes, ipods can make a run a little more entertaining, but one cannot always take an ipod. I also do not like running loops more than once, out and backs, or the same marathon twice. I guess, maybe, I am a high maintenance runner when it comes to courses. The treadmill can also become quite boring, especially if, you have to run on the treadmill for an hour or more or if you have to run on it for more than one day.
We can also find ourselves bored with our lives. We can easily get into the same monotonous daily routines day in and day out. I find it that sometimes, I am so busy with my regular work schedule that I get bored doing the same work over and over. God is not boring. He is full of adventure. If you are bored, ask God to open your eyes to the opportunities that He gives daily. He wants us to be aware of what He is doing in us and amongst us. On your next run, ask God to show you something about Himself. If you feel that your life has no adventure, look to God. Christian, if you feel bored with your life, ask God to restore the sense of adventure that He has intended for you. Ask Him to show you daily the journey that He wants you to take for the day. Maybe you will become more aware of Him at work, at school, at home, or wherever He has you for the day.
Hbr 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Jam 1:6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
As runners, we train for events or for our own personal goals. We know that when we have trained, we believe that we can physically accomplish a task. Before we begin training, we believe that we can do what we set out to accomplish, especially if we look back at previous goals that we have accomplished. Perhaps some of you, me included, remember our past events and what our bodies are capable of accomplishing. We also read about feats and victories that other runners have achieved. With all of this in mind, we believe in our potential and our bodies to be able to achieve certain tasks.
In our relationship with Jesus, we have faith. We cannot visibly see Him, but we can look back on those who have had faith,and we can look back on our own lives and see where God has been faithful. We have no reason to doubt in what Jesus can accomplish, but sometimes we do because we are mere humans, and our finite minds cannot comprehend our finite God. To tell someone to have faith does not always help him/her to receive the faith that God desires to give. Faith is wonderful when we take a step and believe in Jesus and what He has to offer us. Christian, are you living a life of faith? To you who are contemplating faith, have you asked for God’s help to give you faith?
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
One wonderful aspect of running is the various types of people that you come across. You see young, old, short, tall, skinny, stocky, not so skinny, fast runners, slow runners, runners with only one leg or one arm, and various cultures of runners. Many people stereo type how a runner should look. We often do this in life. We feel that people should look and act in certain ways. God created all people. He shows no favoritism in our appearance. He is the Creator. He shows no racism or bias. He loves all people. Let’s seek to see all people through the lens of God, and not our imperfect view.
1Pe 3:11 "let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.
Running away fast can sometimes be our intuition. Several times, I have been running alone and felt that I needed to escape the area where I was running. I especially felt that way in South Africa. I lived in an area that had one of the highest crime rates in the world. Though, most of the time running in the city, I felt safe. People were always busy about the streets walking to work or catching taxis. The times when I felt frightened, I was alone on weekend mornings. I was never followed by anyone that I know of, but I felt that I needed to get quickly back home or that I needed to get out of the area as fast as possible. I was running from what felt like evil. Maybe you have had to run away from an unsafe place or even an animal. More than a few times, I have had to run fast to get away from dogs. One time, I even got bit. I could not move fast enough. When we feel threatened and we finally make it to a safe place, we feel relieved.
The way that we run physically from danger, we should run spiritually and perhaps physically from sin. We are tempted many times in many different ways throughout our lives. When we recognize sin and feel tempted to partake in the sin, we must run away as fast as we can in the other direction. This may mean abstaining from what looks like pleasure. The gratification of sin is short lived, while the gratification of living in the light is forever. We must always be aware of temptation. Sin is anything that is not in obedience with God. Let’s flee all evil, just as we would flee any other kind of danger.
Dear Blog friends,
My internet was down last night. This post is for September 30, 2009.
Psa 119:76 O may Your lovingkindness comfort me, According to Your word to Your servant.
Ahhh..There is nothing like a new pair of running shoes. Having two pair of shoes to alternate between is ideal. However, now with the economy being in the shape that it’s in, one cannot always have two pair of running shoes to alternate between. I know for myself, I have been putting too many miles on a pair of shoes before buying some new ones. When I buy the perfect pair of new running shoes, I feel as though my speed and endurance increase. I usually let my shoes wear down so much that I begin getting blisters and sore feet before purchasing a new pair. When I stick my feet into the new pair, I feel like I am putting my feet into a cotton patch. My feet feel immediate relief and I wonder why I waited so long for the comfort that the new shoes give me.
We often do not take the comfort that God offers in life. We keep looking to old places of comfort that lead to disappointment. These empty sources of comfort may be in the form of wealth, bad relationships, work, food, alcohol, approval of others, etc. Evaluate your heart to seek out where you receive your sources of comfort. Jesus offers the perfect comfort. Ask Him to help you find the relief that your soul needs.
