Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Monday Funday Action (yes, I know today is Tuesday)
Just a little Monday Funday action at QTown Crossfit from yesterday. Pistol burpees. Next thing to conquer: Handstand walks.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Anchored by Hope
Okay - so I can't promise I will keep up with this blogging thing, but I'm going to give it another go.
A few months ago, I was asked to direct a Mini-TEC retreat through the Great River TEC program. (Mini-TEC is a shortened version of the 3 day TEC retreat weekend. Visit www.greatrivertec.org to learn more about the awesomeness of this program!) The first thought that crept into my mind was this: How will we ever come up with a theme?! It really wasn't that hard when handed over to the big man upstairs.
Two of my older brothers are in the US Navy. When they first joined, my sister gave me a keychain with a quote on it. It also had a picture of an anchor. Since that time, the anchor has always been a sign for me. A sign of hope and steadfastness. Every time I see an anchor, I think of my brothers. I knew I wanted the anchor as a part of the theme. The more I prayed about it, the verse from Hebrews chapter 6 kept popping up into my life. Verse 19 reads: This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast..."
I saw it everywhere. I saw anchors everywhere. I knew that in the midst of this crazy, chaotic and sometimes very scary world we live in --- we need to remember to have hope and steadfastness. And so we had our theme.
We had our first meeting on Saturday. I really wanted to open the meeting with a devotion from the Jesus Calling book. I typically read the day's devotional when I get up each morning. That morning, I neglected to read it (whoopsie!). Of course, when I got to the meeting I realized I had left the book at home. Thank God (seriously), there is an app for that. I downloaded it on my phone quickly before the meeting. As I pulled up the day - July 27 - the heading read: HOPE. As I began to read, I got very emotional just thinking about how God intentionally plants things into our lives so that we might recognize him.
Here is the devotional reading for that day:
Hope is a golden cord connecting you to heaven. This cord helps you hold your head up high, even when multiple trials are buffeting you. I never leave your side, and I never let go of your hand. But without the cord of hope, your head may slump and your feet may shuffle as you journey uphill with Me. Hope lifts your perspective from your weary feet to the glorious view you can see from the high road. You are reminded that the road we're traveling together is ultimately a highway to heave. When you consider this radiant destination, the roughness or smoothness of the road ahead becomes much less significant. I am training you to hold in your heart a dual focus: My continual Presence and the hope of heaven.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. -Romans 12:12
But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. -1 Thessalonians 5:8
And most importantly....
God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. -Hebrews 6:18-19
God knows. He knows what's on my heart and He knew that we would be having our first meeting that day. He knew I was anxious about the meeting and not feeling worthy of such a role in my faith community. I'm trying to remember each day to anchor myself to our Heavenly Father, because He truly is the only way to heaven.
A few months ago, I was asked to direct a Mini-TEC retreat through the Great River TEC program. (Mini-TEC is a shortened version of the 3 day TEC retreat weekend. Visit www.greatrivertec.org to learn more about the awesomeness of this program!) The first thought that crept into my mind was this: How will we ever come up with a theme?! It really wasn't that hard when handed over to the big man upstairs.
Two of my older brothers are in the US Navy. When they first joined, my sister gave me a keychain with a quote on it. It also had a picture of an anchor. Since that time, the anchor has always been a sign for me. A sign of hope and steadfastness. Every time I see an anchor, I think of my brothers. I knew I wanted the anchor as a part of the theme. The more I prayed about it, the verse from Hebrews chapter 6 kept popping up into my life. Verse 19 reads: This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast..."
I saw it everywhere. I saw anchors everywhere. I knew that in the midst of this crazy, chaotic and sometimes very scary world we live in --- we need to remember to have hope and steadfastness. And so we had our theme.
We had our first meeting on Saturday. I really wanted to open the meeting with a devotion from the Jesus Calling book. I typically read the day's devotional when I get up each morning. That morning, I neglected to read it (whoopsie!). Of course, when I got to the meeting I realized I had left the book at home. Thank God (seriously), there is an app for that. I downloaded it on my phone quickly before the meeting. As I pulled up the day - July 27 - the heading read: HOPE. As I began to read, I got very emotional just thinking about how God intentionally plants things into our lives so that we might recognize him.
Here is the devotional reading for that day:
Hope is a golden cord connecting you to heaven. This cord helps you hold your head up high, even when multiple trials are buffeting you. I never leave your side, and I never let go of your hand. But without the cord of hope, your head may slump and your feet may shuffle as you journey uphill with Me. Hope lifts your perspective from your weary feet to the glorious view you can see from the high road. You are reminded that the road we're traveling together is ultimately a highway to heave. When you consider this radiant destination, the roughness or smoothness of the road ahead becomes much less significant. I am training you to hold in your heart a dual focus: My continual Presence and the hope of heaven.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. -Romans 12:12
But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. -1 Thessalonians 5:8
And most importantly....
God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. -Hebrews 6:18-19
God knows. He knows what's on my heart and He knew that we would be having our first meeting that day. He knew I was anxious about the meeting and not feeling worthy of such a role in my faith community. I'm trying to remember each day to anchor myself to our Heavenly Father, because He truly is the only way to heaven.
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