Honor God and He will honor you. Even when you can barely talk

Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.  5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like a noon day sun."  1Samuel 2:30".......Those who honor me I will honor....".   I had a great Birkie week!!!  Thank you everyone for your prayers.  I could feel the Lords strength with me as I climbed the Birkie hills and felt a tail wind in the middle of a head wind across the Lake on my way to the finish line!!!     Only way I could do all that was through the powerful gift of Jesus!!! I skated a Birkie on Wednesday, skated the Korte on Friday and Classic skied the Birkie on Saturday. (134k total) All went very well!! I'm not in the winner's circle at this point, in my life; so, I gage my success on my ability to keep encouraging others during my races.   This year I was bolder in thanking Jesus for strength and bolder in talking about trusting God and getting our strength through Him as I pushed through the hills.  On my third race I was feeling too tired to talk, about half way through I found the energy to start praising God and encouraging others more boldly.   WOW!! Did God ever reward me with strength and energy as I did that!! He gave me strength as I honored Him!!!    That is life too!!   We all have something heavy to deal with; This life on earth is difficult in many ways.   When we look up and Honor Him through it all, even the hardest somehow becomes manageable.    Be encouraged today to honor God even if you are having a hard time  talking,   I promise you He will honor you as you honor Him!!!!😇🙏🌸🦅⛷

Soar!!

Romans 8:18 “ I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed within us.”  I love the book of Romans!   So many good things.    Yesterday I had a great Korte race!!! Thanks so very much for your prayers.   I could feel the strength of Jesus, taking me to high places.  I was able to climb the Birkie hills with relative ease.   Praise the Lord!! 😇.  Today I’m classic skiing the Birkie, my last endurance event of the week. To stay strong yesterday I stayed in gratefulness and thanksgiving.   It was easy to do since it was a beautiful day!   Today may you be inspired to concentrate on the beautiful,  not the sufferings; keep your head and heart on Jesus, He will let you soar to new heights!!🦅🙏😇🌸

Faith makes things possible not easy

Psalm 147:10 "His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor His delight in the legs of a man; 11The Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love. ".   Today I'm skiing the Korte ski race and tomorrow the Birkie!   They are my"Big Races "

For the season.    I'm a non contender so it really doesn't matter , but I try to do my best, my Winter training is all about performing well this weekend.  I read these verses today and I remember;  it's not my physical strength God is impressed with, its my hope and reverence for Him that He cherishes.  We can all be champions when we simply have our Hope in the Lord's unfailing love!!❤️😇🙏🦅💃🌸🏅⛷

"Faith makes things possible—it does not make them easy."

Unknown

Fear is a liar

1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear had to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”    Is there something you fear?    I’m tempted to fear a variety of things.  Then I try to remember, “Gods got this”.  He is sovereign and He loves me and even in my worse case scenario, He is with me using it for His glory.     When I simply TRUST in Gods intimate love and provision for me, I can let go of fear and TRUST that God will provide whatever I need at the exact right time.   I don’t know what’s best for me often.  Sometimes I’m like Donqueoti, chasing the wind.    Then God calls me back and I realize that when I Seek His Word like silver and apply it to my daily life.  I can rest in things that are not as I chose TRUSTING, His outcome.    This act of continually trusting in His love for me, provides me the foundation to be truly well, not consumed with fear.  If I let fear take hold I can become paralyzed in a hopeless dialog in my brain.   When I focus on Gods perfect love for me it casts out my fear and I go forth in confidence; that even when I mess up or things seem crazy out of control.  He is there to catch me.    Rest in His Love today not  your Fear!!  😇🙏🌸💃🎈🦅❤️

Strong, determined confidently in His direction

2 Corinthians 12:8 "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.   9 But He said to me, "my grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ's power may rest on me."    Christ in me!!!Lord let me take every thought captive that doesn't lead me to you!!!    Yesterday I met a lady who is a Bible college student.   She is my age ( retirement age) she is starting a new thing!!  She is also skiing the Birkie and is from Texas where there is no skiable snow.   I have my friends here from Maryland, they too are skiing the Birkie. In their home state, they rarely have snow.    How do people decide to go for a winter event like the Birkie when they live in states with no snow???   Crazy huh? Cool too!!  They obviously can look beyond the reasons they can't and look towards the reasons they can.    Some days I'm tempted to feel, like I can't.   I'm tempted to feel like retreating.    But then I remember,  it's Christ in me that gives me strength!    His arm is never to short!!   He is with me always, even to the end of the age!  Why should I fear and cowardly give up?    I shouldn't.   I can keep on keeping on with Christ in me!!! Be strong and determined today go confidently in His direction!!!😇🌸🦅🙏❤️💃

What are you truly chasing?

Matthew 15:8 "These people. Honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." (words of Jesus).  This verse is loud in my heart today.   I am being convicted to be a doer of the word not nearly a hearer of it.   It's funny, I have been a Christian for so long I don't remember not being one; yet at different times in my life I've chased the wrong things, not what I know God is calling me to do.      To deny myself and pick up the cross means I deny things that take me away from doing what God wants me to do.    We can't be filled with anything outside ourselves, such as booze, money, food or sexual immorality and be truly full.  When we are hearers of the Word and not doers of the Word, we are not living life to the full.  It's not enough for me to quote scripture that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and then go ahead and try to satisfy my lust ignoring Gods word (even though I quote it).  Today let's be doers of the word not nearly hearers of the word so we can "be filled".    Hope this helps you today!!!😇🌸🦅🙏❤️

Control the narrative!

Feb 19, today is exactly one week tell the American Birkebeiner!    This is a cross country ski event I look forward to all Winter.  It's a really fun week with lots of countries represented and a variety of activities from little kids to dogs to people skiing in their 80s. ( Not many of the later, pretty amazing the ones that do that).   In order to train for this event I have to keep the narrative in my head positive.   On the cold days,  I have to look at good snow conditions on the warm days I have to tell myself snow might be sloshy but it'll be fun.  When I have a four hour training ski ahead of me and no friends to meet me, I have to encourage myself with being thankful I can ski in the first place.  " The narrative in our heads plays a huge role in our healthy and wellness and our abilities to conquer life's circumstances.       We each face challenges every day, many are out of our control.    Nothing is out of Gods control.  He often doesn't answer prayers the way we prefer Him to.   But He does respond to each one when we pray through the powerful gift of Jesus.    TRUST!!!! If fear and doubt enter you brain those will enter your heart, what ever we think about expands.  Each of us have the ability to control our narratives and not let our narrative control us.  Today you might not "Feel" like eating right or moving well.  You may take comfort in an excuse you've come up with.   STOP !   Eat well, move well think well.  It's your choice.   Psalm 37:34 " Wait for the Lord and keep His ways. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. ". 1 Corinthians 9:26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.  27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."   I have heard this verse paraphrased," I discipline my body so it doesn't discipline me!!   Today, be inspired to take charge of the narrative in your head; so you can be truly well!!😇🌸🙏❤️🦅