fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. (Philippians 2:2)

Are you willing to pray for favor for the FCA for one week? One month?

As mentioned in my devotional on November 20, November 18 was the best day of 2008 for me. One of my highlights for that day was attending the annual FCA Fundraising banquet in Fredericksburg VA. During that banquet, God rekindled the fire in my heart to bless the FCA and teens, especially in Culpeper and Virginia.

The banquet room at the Holiday Inn Express in Central Park was full with about 400 people. Julia and I were blessed to be seated at a table near the stage where the speakers were, so I was able to get some good photos. We were also blessed to be seated with Randi Jones (the area rep for the Prince William area, which includes Culpeper), Larry Dix (an FCA Board member), and David Davies (VP of Stewardship and Gift Planning from the national FCA office).

One of the things that impressed me the most was what God is doing at Mountain View High School in Stafford County, VA. A group of 5 students from that school came on stage to play and sing an awesome worship song for the entire audience. That is something they do every Wednesday morning at school. Wow! Then two other students from Mountain View shared what the FCA has meant to them. One of the head football coaches shared his perspective.

But what struck me the most was the foundation for all the Kingdom successes at Mountain View, namely intercessory prayer. A mother of a Mountain View student shared her story of how God took a family disaster and turned it around for His glory. She told how her son was so rebellious and making horrible choices in 9th grade that were going to take him out.

That drove this lady to her knees. She had never understood the power of prayer before that. As a result of her prayers, God connected her to a lady who connected her to the head football coach at Mountain View. That coach ministered to her son on the football team. Eventually her son committed his life to Christ and now he’s serving the LORD.

One of the first things this lady did to break through was ask for the email addresses of all the parents of the football players. She then sent an email asking for volunteers to pray for the team. While she received several unfriendly replies, 4 other people stepped forward to pray. Now that intercessory team has grown to about 60 people.

Imagine what’s possible if a few parents in every school in America do something similar – form their own intercessory teams.

The keynote speaker for the evening was Bob Jones, a graduate of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. He played 4 years in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets and 8 years for the Philadelphia 76ers. He was named to the All-Defensive Team first team for 10 of his 12 season. He received the John Wooden Award in 2005, recognizing him for his character and contributions both on and off the court.

As I was soaking in the wonders of God during this FCA banquet, I was reminded that the FCA had a greater impact on me than any other ministry in my life. Being exposed to the FCA Bible in the Fall of 2001 led me to start the habit of daily journaling on January 1, 2002. Journaling eventually evolved to become the lead domino for my life. Several times I have had Jesus tell me, “Coaching people to journal to hear Me is your sweet spot.”

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, thank You for the FCA and the blessing that wonderful organization has been to me personally as well as to my family and our local community. Thank You for Kerry O’Neill and his godly leadership as the Director of the Fredericksburg Area FCA. Grant Kerry and the FCA UNCOMMON favor with You and man to soar to new heights for Jesus! Show them how to harness the power of the web to communicate their messages and allow students to share their God stories with the world. Thank You Jesus. Amen and hallelujah!

Link of the Day
Photos from the FCA banquet on Nov 18, 2008

Blessings to the FCA students, staff, and volunteers to soar to new heights for Jesus!

When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but with the humble is wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2)

What have been your favorite highlights for the Beijing Olympics?
What makes those especially touching to you?
How do you see God working through these Olympics?

I love the Olympics and what they mean to the spirit of competition, inspiration, and good will among nations. We hear so many neat stories and witness unusual twists of events that shape the destinies of not just individuals, but even nations. Today I’d like to share some of my personal favorite highlights and low points following the first 3 days of the Beijing Olympics.

Highlights of Beijing Olympics 2008

1) The Opening Ceremonies were the most spectacular ever. The synchronization of thousands of Chinese performers was incredible.

2) Record Olympic attendance (7 million people) with great sportsmanship manifested by the Chinese people. According to Ariel Rittenhouse, a synchronized diver who placed fourth, “It is amazing being here, because, in the United States, you never have crowds like this or anything. And they go crazy.”

3) President Bush’s attendance. He is the first sitting U.S. President to attend the Olympics held out of the U.S.

4) Michael Phelps first gold medal victory in the 400 meter Individual Medley

5) The comeback story of American Dara Torres. She became the oldest swimming medalist in history, at the age of 41, by taking silver with the U.S. 4×100-meter freestyle relay team. Twenty of the 31 other women in the relay Sunday were not even born when Torres first took the Olympic plunge at the age of 17 in 1984. Torres’s anchor time of 52.44 seconds was better than any other woman swimming that leg except for the 100-meter world record holder, Libby Trickett of Australia.

Torres was already the oldest Olympic female swimming medalist in history, after coming out of retirement the first time to take gold in the medley relay in Sydney in 2000. But after this latest, more improbable comeback, she is now the oldest swimming medalist of either gender. She is now the first American swimmer to compete in five Olympics and has won 10 Olympic medals, the most on this powerhouse American team, although Phelps already has nine (and counting).  On August 16, Dara goes for gold in the 50-meter race.

6) Park Tae Hwan becoming South Korea’s first swimming medalist ever by winning the men’s 400-meter freestyle at the age of 18. What a comeback for someone who disqualified in the finals in the 2004 Olympics in Athens after a false start. This was especially neat to me because my wife is a full-blooded Korean.
 
7) The story of the 43 year old woman gymnast competing for Germany in her 5th Olympics. She won the team gold medal for Russia at age 19. Her search for a cure for leukemia in her young son led her to Germany and the German team.

8) Michael Phelps got his second gold medal in his quest for eight thanks to a late comeback in the 400-meter freestyle relay by Jason Lezak, who lunged to the wall just ahead of the French anchor. The U.S. team’s time of 3 minutes, 8.24 seconds shattered its previous mark of 3:12.23 set the night before in preliminaries. This victory silenced the arrogant boasts made by the French relay team beforehand.

9) The stunning comeback of the USA women’s gymnastic team after a very auspicious start. Samantha Peszek, who had been expected to compete in all four events in qualifying, was practicing a tumbling pass when she injured her left ankle shortly before the team came out to compete. Her teammates said they heard a pop. Martha Karolyi, the women’s national team coordinator, decided to hastily rework her lineups, with Chellsie Memmel and now Peszek, both out with ankle injuries, competing only on the uneven bars.

Low Points

1) Without a doubt, the low point of these Olympic Games has been the stabbing death of Todd Bachman when he was attacked at a popular tourist site in Beijing. Todd was the father of former Olympian Elisabeth Bachman-McCutcheon and the father-in-law of the U.S. men’s volleyball team.

2) The loss of the second of two twin brothers (Paul and Morgan Hamm) for the U.S. men’s gymnastic team.

3) On the uneven bars, Liukin, a U.S. gold-medal favorite in the event, fell backward on her dismount, rolling awkwardly onto her back. Her father and coach, Valeri, leapt off the podium in disappointment.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, thank You for the opportunity to watch these amazing Olympic Games in Beijing. While we don’t understand the details, we know LORD that You are shaping the destinies of nations as a result of these Olympics. Bless the remaining 14 days with Your peace and good will. May there be much eternal fruit as a result. Thank You Jesus. Amen and hallelujah!

Link of the Day
U.S. Gymnasts Overcome Injuries in Qualifying

Blessings to soak in the Olympics with God’s eternal perspective!

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, (1 Peter 1:6-7)

When was the last time you were touched – deeply moved by something you didn’t expect?

On March 13, I received an email titled “The Fragile Nature of Life” from John G. Miller, founder of QBQ! (The Question Behind the Question),  In his email John shared that his website had been hosted over the past decade by a firm that had gone through many name changes. But in spite of frequent name and ownership changes, one thing remained constant at this firm – Jeff Hilton. Whenever John had technical problems and frustrations, he’d email Jeff. Never met Jeff. Didn’t know Jeff. Had no idea of Jeff’s age, family situation, likes or dislikes, hobbies or heritage. John’s communication with Jeff was always by email. Then on March 1, 2008, Jeff died of a heart attack at the age of 30.

When I went to Lake Tahoe in September 2007 to watch my wife compete in the National Xterra Triathlon Championships, I met Jamie Whitmore, the 2007 female champion. I was there taking photos as Jamie crossed the finish line in first place. What most impressed me was how she acknowledged and thanked God at the start of her TV interview shortly after winning. When Jamie raced, she prominently displayed a sticker on her bike, “Powered by God.”

Two days ago I learned from my wife that Jamie had recently been hospitalized because of an undiagnosed tumor. On the home page of her website, Jamie says “I am finally home after 10 days in the hospital.  I wish I could say that everything is ok but the truth is, we still don’t know what we are dealing with.  After 3 different biopsies we know that the tumor originated in the glut and grew into my pelvic area.  It is the size of a baseball and is pushing up against my organs and the nerves in my left leg. The doctors aren’t really sure if the tumor is pushing or growing out of my nerves.  Either way I am in a lot of pain.  More pain then the bike course of Utah, Tahoe and Maui put together.  On a scale of 1-10, (1 being no pain and 10 being a lot), my pain ranges from 5 on a good day and 11 on a bad day.  None of the pain meds or “nerve blockers” work well. The sad part is that it is affecting my ability to walk properly.  I can walk on my own but I use a walker for stability and so that I can walk longer.”

How would you respond to such a trial? On the web page titled “Prayer for Jamie,” a good friend of Jamie writes, “Bottom line… Jamie sees this as one more opportunity to give God glory and a way for her to share her faith with so many who are yet to hear it.”

God doesn’t promise that life will be fair or that we won’t have problems. Everyone has problems. How we respond to the trials of life ultimately shapes our character. God commands us to give thanks in all circumstances.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, thank You for Jamie Whitmore and her unwavering faith in You. I join with many others in prayer asking You to bless Jamie – her health, her family, and her life. May Jamie’s testimony of Your goodness change the lives of many fellow competitors and other athletes around the world. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Link of the Day
Jamie Whitmore’s personal website – such an inspiration

Blessings to Jamie, her family, and network of friends!

I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. (Psalm 16:8)

What easy things can you do each day to leave the legacy of a champion?

Great news! Yesterday, Briana Whaley qualified for the 2008 U.S. Olympic team trials with a time of 2:46:20 in the Philadelphia Marathon. Briana ran the best marathon of her life, narrowly beating the Olympic qualifying time by 40 seconds. What a tremendous achievement. Briana ran the first half of her marathon in an amazing 1:21 despite a cold and rainy day resulting in slow overall times. For example, the male winner in this marathon was 8 minutes slower than the winner in 2006 and the female winner was 1.5 minutes slower.

This was a big answer to prayer. On Saturday afternoon November 17, Julia (my wife) happened to send an email to some friends inviting them to join her for a bike ride the next afternoon. Briana quickly responded to Julia’s email informing her that she was competing in the Philadelphia Marathon on Nov 18 in her bid to qualify for the Olympic trials. When Briana asked Julia to pray for her, Julia promptly forwarded that prayer request to me.

After receiving the prayer request from Julia, I felt strongly led to send a devotional later that evening asking my network of supporters to pray for Briana. Despite having lots of other things on my plate, I sensed an urgency from God’s perspective.

Briana’s story has been an amazing one to watch unfold. It clearly has God’s signature all over it. Julia first met Briana the week before the 4th of July 5k run in Culpeper in 2007. After seeing Briana “clean clock” at that event, Julia didn’t see Briana again until October 17 when Briana came up to her coffee table at “Taste of Culpeper,” a huge business event in downtown Culpeper. God used Julia to speak words of encouragement to Briana.

Many people want what others have, but aren’t willing to pay the price for that success. In my October 16 devotional, I mentioned that “as in a marathon, the secret lies not in trying harder, but in training consistently.” It’s the little choices we make each and every day that give us a slight edge.

Now begins a 5 month journey as Briana trains ever harder to qualify for the Olympics. The 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Women’s Marathon was awarded to the Boston Athletic Association on June 22, 2006. The event will be held in downtown Boston and Cambridge, MA, on April 20, 2008. Julia and I plan to go to Boston to support Briana. While I’ve never been to Boston or Massachusetts for that matter, we’ll make this a ministry vacation and see what God has in store.

We ask for your support in praying for Briana regularly. To learn more about the U.S. women’s marathon Olympic trials, see today’s Link of the Day. If you’d like to send a prayer of encouragement to Briana, please reply to this email with your prayer and I’ll forward that to Briana.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, thank You so much for the answered prayer to have Your pillar of cloud go before Briana yesterday to allow her to qualify for the Olympic trials. I am so thankful and humbled that You have crossed her path with that of my wife. Now I come boldly into Your throne room of grace beseeching You to bless and encourage Briana daily over the next 5 months as she prepares for the Olympic trials. Prepare Briana physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually to be one of the top 3 qualifies in the marathon in Boston on April 20. Thank You Jesus. Amen and Hallelujah!

Link of the Day
2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Women’s Marathon [http://bostontrials2008.com]
Blessings to Briana in her quest to qualify for the Olympics and bring God the glory!

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Titus 1:17)

What kind of impact will a victory by Briana Whaley have on Culpeper and Virginia?

In my Oct 23 devotional titled “Training vs. Trying,” [http://www.yourdailyblessing.com/content.cfm?id=2451] I shared how God connected my wife with Briana Whaley, an American Olympic hopeful in the marathon.

At 7 AM on Sunday November 18, Briana will start running the Philadelphia Marathon along with more than 10,000 other competitors. She needs to knock off less than one minute off her best time to qualify for the Olympic trials that take place in April 2008.

Briana’s husband moved his family to Culpeper Virginia in the Spring of 2007 to pastor a local church. Briana quickly received a lot of publicity in our local newspaper. I first met her at the 4th of July 5k run in Culpeper.

To qualify for the upcoming Olympic trials, Briana needs to beat the qualifying mark of 2 hours, 47 minutes. Just two months ago, on September 3, 2007, Briana ran the “Arlington Cooperation Foundation Abebe Bikila Day International Peace Half Marathon” in 1 hour and 21 minutes. The online results [http://www.marathoncharitypartners.org/bikila/20070903.html] state, “Briana Whaley from the hills of Culpeper VA finished about 3 minutes ahead Teyba Naser of Ethiopia to win the women’s race.”

Please join me and many others in praying for Briana’s success. She will give God the glory. Please do what you can to help rapidly spread this message around the globe.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, thank You for how You have sovereignly worked in Brian’s life to prepare her for such a great moment and opportunity as this. May Your pillar of cloud go before her, allowing her to run her best race ever in the Philadelphia Marathon. And then may she have numerous opportunities to give you all the glory. Thank You Jesus. Amen and Hallelujah!

Link of the Day
Philadelphia Marathon [www.philadelphiamarathon.com]
Blessings to see God to use Briana to bring his cloud of glory to Virginia!

“who found favor before God and asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob.” (Acts 7:46)

What can I expect as a child of the King of kings?
When God upgrades me, do I look for the reason and share the blessing with others?

For me, life has been an adventure ever since I committed my life to Jesus seven years ago. I often feel like I have the lead role in an Indiana Jones movie, never knowing what exciting thing is just around the corner. I’ve traded predictability for miraculous provision and servanthood.

As a child of the King of kings, I expect uncommon favor- upgrades. In return, my Father expects me to acknowledge Him as the source of my blessings when people notice. In the Fall of 2006, the Holy Spirit gave me the lyrics and tune for a song titled “Richly Blessed and Highly Favored.”

On September 18, Julia called someone in the Xterra organization for help in finding a place for us to stay at Lake Tahoe. Because we were calling so late, all the one bedroom places near the Hyatt Regency hotel were already taken. So we had to upgrade to a 2 bedroom place. While we didn’t know why God allowed this initially, we later appreciated this because the extra bedroom allowed Julia’s mother and good friend to visit for 3 days and watch Julia compete in the National Championships for the Xterra triathlon.

On September 24, when Julia and I arrived at Reno Airport on our way to Lake Tahoe, Dollar Car Rental upgraded us from an economy car to a minivan for free because no small car was available. While I didn’t really want a minivan initially, I later realized the extra cargo space allowed us to carry two mountain bikes. This allowed me to go mountain biking with Julia around Lake Tahoe. Many of today’s gorgeous photos came during one of those rides.

Visit today’s Link of the Day to see lots of neat photos of Lake Tahoe and the Xterra triathlons.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, thank You for the awesome privilege to be able to call You “Father.” Thank You for the many benefits I enjoy as a child of the King of kings. May I honor You with a life well-lived to bring You glory. Thank You Jesus. Amen and Hallelujah!

Link of the Day
Photos of Lake Tahoe and the Xterra triathlons
[http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AbN3DZw5cOXnQ&emid=sharview&linkid=link4]

Blessings to live your life with high expectations from the King of kings! 

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

In what areas of your life, do you need more preparation and training to finish life strong?
Who can you seek help from to coach you in those areas?

We can learn a lot about life from sports – about the importance of preparation, diligence, team work, coaching, etc. No matter how you pray, if you haven’t prepared adequately, you’re unlikely to finish well, at least as the competition gets tougher.

The Boy Scout motto is “Be prepared!” That’s so important in all areas of our lives – including spiritual. Taking care of ourselves, daily disciplines, and maintaining balance in our lives is critical to finish life well.

For much of my life, I loved to run and was a good runner. In 9th grade during the 1972-73 school year, I set the school records for the mile and two mile runs at my middle school in Frankfurt Germany. After my family moved from Germany to Charlottesville Virginia in 1973, I completed my last two years of high school at Albemarle High School. There I ran cross country in the Fall and track in the Spring seasons.

When I came out to train with the Albemarle HS cross country team in late summer of 1973, I got a quick lesson in humility. The first day was extremely hot and the team went to train on steep hills. I had not trained properly during the summer, whereas most of the other runners had. So very quickly, I lost the attitude of a winner. For most of that first cross country season, I was the 7th place runner on my team and only the top five counted in the scoring in the team score in meets.

Part of my challenge was that we had an extremely good team. My brother, who ran fourth on the team, ran the two mile in 9:50 during the Spring track season in 1974. Our sixth place cross country runner ran the two mile in 9:50 a year later.

On September 19, 2007, I went to Culpeper High School to watch Tim and Jennifer Smith compete in a cross country meet with at least four different teams. The day was gorgeous and nearby the girls were playing in a field hockey game and football players were practicing. Tim finished 5th overall out of 70-80 runners. While Jennifer was further back, I was still proud of how she ran.

Tim worked for me full-time this past summer. Tim and Jennifer are two of the most responsible and moral teenagers I have ever known. Their good habits and discipline will pay great dividends over their lifetimes.

Check out today’s Link of the Day to see photos from the cross country meet on Sep 19.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, thank You for the ways You work in our lives to draw us near to You and make us more Christ-like. Help me to maintain a healthy balance in all areas of my life and may I be adequately prepared to finish the race strong with my family. Bless my readers to do likewise. Thank You Jesus. You’re the best role model we could ever hope for. Amen.

Link of the Day
Photos From Cross Country Race on Sep 19, 2007 [www.yourdailyblessing.com/content.cfm?id=2435]

Blessings to run the race and finish strong!

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (Colossians 3:2)

How can you take God to “work” with you each day?

On Sunday morning August 5, 2007, I chose to go to the Culpeper Sprint Triathlon to support and encourage my wife, son, and a myriad of friends. Wherever I go, I still want to intentionally take God with me and use the occasion for God’s glory. In this particular case, I took lots of photos, which people love to see because they remind them of good things and inspire fresh ideas. Be sure to visit today’s Link of the Day to see the triathlon photo gallery.

More than 500 triathletes competed in the third annual Culpeper Sprint Triathlon held at Mountain Run Lake Park. There are many neat stories about this triathlon.

For example, Culpeper’s held its first triathlon ever in 2005, largely due to the influence of Mayor Rimeikis, who thought this would be good for our community and chose to participate himself. Last year, Culpeper’s Town Manager, Brannon Godfrey, competed. This year, Brannon competed in the team triathlon with his ten year old son.

Another neat story is that the overall winner of the triathlon was a former pro triathlete until 2003. Now he’s in medical school in Wisconsin. Despite his rigorous study schedule, he still won by nearly 3 minutes.

Still another story is that Peggy Allen, the outstanding coach of Culpeper High School’s field hockey team, got about 50 of her girls to come out and volunteer. When I took a photo of some of those girls at their request and told them I would post the photos online, they asked where to look to find them. When I showed them my business cards for “Your Daily Blessing,” they gladly took every card I had.

To learn more about this special triathlon, read the Culpeper Star Exponent newspaper article titled “Culpeper Sprint triathlon draws over 500.”
[http://www.starexponent.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CSE%2FMGArticle%2FCSE_MGArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173352273629&path=!sports]

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, thank You for the nice morning for the Culpeper triathlon Thank You for Your promise to never leave nor forsake us. Thank You for the opportunities to be lights to a hurting world. Help us to set our mind on things above, not on things on the earth. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

Blessings to set you mind on things above!

Link of the Day
Photos of Culpeper Sprint Triathlon on Aug 5

“The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63b)

What goals do you have regarding your physical health?
Who is holding you accountable to those?

For years, I told Caren (my daughter) that some day she would compete in triathlons. Caren’s response to me was always “Never!” However, Julia (my wife) and I both loved doing triathlons and modeled that for her. In fact, when Caren was one year old, I used to put her in a special seat on the back of my bike while I trained.

Julia did her very first triathlon in Richmond Virginia in 1982 – 25 years ago. That event involved a 35 mile bike ride, followed by a 1 mile swim in a pool, and concluded with a 10 mile run. Julia took 5 hours and finished dead last out of about 87 competitors. She was in very good shape, but had not trained adequately for such a long event.

The next year, I did that same triathlon with Julia to support her. That was my first triathlon ever. I trained hard for 3 months. Learning to swim for distance was difficult for me because I never was on any swim teams as a kid.

How did we do? Julia knocked an hour off her time from the year before and finished high in her age group standings. I finished in 3 hours and 25 minutes, despite a major bike crash. Half way through the bike ride, I was in the lead with the front bike group averaging 28 mph before two people crashed right in front of me. While I managed to dodge those two bikers, I ended up crashing into a race marshal car, destroying my bicycle. I ran to the turn around point 100 yards ahead, begged a total stranger to borrow his bike, and rode back 17.5 miles to the transition point without clips on my pedals. What is the moral of this story? Don’t give up!

For more than 15 years, I continued to compete sporadically in triathlons. However, my wife remained consistent in her training. In fact, in 2003 and 2004, she competed in two half-Ironman triathlons (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run). Julia frequently wins her age group. She has qualified for “Nationals” several years in a row now. What is the moral of her story? Consistency pays off.

But Julia’s healthy lifestyle throughout her life has done more than just keep her healthy. It has helped keep our family healthy and has inspired many women to take better care of themselves.

On Saturday June 23, Julia convinced Jane Dodson, our friend across the street, to compete in the Charlottesville Sprint Triathlon taking place the next morning. Not only did Jane agree to do her first triathlon, but she convinced her two kids to do likewise. That led to Caren signing up too, despite the fact that she had not trained for any of the three events. Caren’s participation in a sport Julia loves was perhaps Julia’s greatest birthday gift ever. June 25 was her 50th birthday.

Now Caren and our three neighbors all have “triathlon fever.” They already signed up for another triathlon in July in Richmond. And they are infectious. My son and at least two of his friends want to do triathlons now. This week Caren began training hard for all three triathlon events.

Prayer Power
Abba, Father, You are so amazing. Your goodness overwhelms me day after day. Thank You for blessing our family with peace in our home and good health. May Your love, joy, and peace in us rapidly spread throughout Virginia. Encourage those reading this message to know that breakthroughs are around the corner for them too. Thank You Jesus. We love You and bless Your holy name! Amen.

Link of the Day
Photos from Charlottesville Sprint Triathlon [http://www.yourdailyblessing.com/content.cfm?id=2362]

Blessings to be consistent in caring for your body, the temple of the Holy Spirit!

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7)

One of my favorite books I have ever read is “Finishing Strong” by Steve Farrrar. This book talks about going the distance with your family. The content below contains excerpts from that book.

Dr. John Beck once told his future son-in-law “Stay true to Jesus! Make sure that you keep your heart close to Jesus every day. It’s a long way from here to where you’re going to go, and Satan’s in no hurry to get you. It’s been my observation that just one out of ten who start out in full-time ministry for the Lord at 21 are still on track by age 65. They’re shot down morally, they’re shot down with discouragement, they’re shot down with liberal theology, they get obsessed with making money.”

You may be thinking, this does not apply to me because I’m not in full-time ministry. But if you are a Christian and are serious about following Jesus Christ, you are in full-time ministry. The enemy doesn’t want you to realize it. Whatever your profession, if you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then ultimately you work for Him.

When it comes to finishing strong, the odds are against you. It is the rare man who finishes strong. It is the exceptional man who finishes strong. It is the teachable man who finishes strong. So here’s the question. What exceptional measures are you taking in your life to ensure that you will be the one out of ten?

It’s endurance that separates the men from the boys. It’s endurance that determines whether or not a man will finish strong. And endurance is the fruit of godly character. The Christian life isn’t a hundred yard dash. It’s a marathon. It’s a long race, and long races don’t require speed. They require grit, determination, and finishing power. We finish strong by fixing our eyes on Jesus.

If we finish strong, it will only be because we have tapped into Ultimate Strength. Limitless Wisdom, the Fount of Courage, the Source of Perseverance. He will get us across the finish line. The very gates of hell cannot make us stumble unless we choose to remove ourselves from His protection and power.

Are you keeping your gaze focused on Jesus every day?

Prayer Power
Most gracious, heavenly Father, more than anything else I desire to finish the race strong with my family. Help me to keep my eyes focused on Jesus every day. Bless the readers of this message to do likewise. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Link of the Day
Steve Farrar – Helping Men Find Their Way
www.stevefarrar.com

Your Daily Blessing News
In the next few days, I’ll be sharing several more very powerful messages about how to finish strong.