Recharge

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. ~Psalm 51:12

The IRONMAN TRIATHLON is one of the most grueling endurance events in the world. In order to complete the race, an athlete must swim 2.4 miles, ride a bicycle 112 more miles, then run a 26.2-mile marathon. I’m tired just reading about it!

The best athletes in the world can complete this monumental challenge in under nine

hours. But for Australian Chris Legh, his Ironman experience in 1997 was memorable for the wrong reasons. Known as one of the top competitors in the sport, he was unable to keep any fluids or food down during the course of the race. As a result, he became dehydrated, leading to a number of his organs shutting down.

Fifty yards from the finish line, his body completely gave out. Legh never finished the race and would’ve died without immediate medical attention. Thankfully, he recovered and has won two Ironman events since.

But first, he had to be Restored & Recharged!

While experiences like Legh’s show us humans have physical limits to their endurance, the same can also be said about their spiritual lives. Thankfully, there are warning signs that exist before it becomes too late. When people don’t want to read their Bible or pray, if they decide to shut people out of their lives, or if church becomes just a ritual, something deeper may be going on.

They may be suffering from spiritual dehydration. Just as a “Low Fuel” light tells us to fill up the car with gas, it’s time to ask God for a renewed spirit when we see these warning signs. Consider that Jesus had crowds following him everywhere, but he knew his spiritual limits so well that he consistently took time to recharge, even when death was near (see Luke 22:39-43).

When your life’s “Low Fuel” light comes on, don’t ignore it. God wants to recharge and renew your life. Allow him to do just that. Make sure you accept his help to cross the finish line, especially at this hectic time of year.

We belive that God has BIG PLANS for us in 2010!

Let’s Remember our last four Blog-post’s ….

Let’s have the right “Reaction” to whatever He calls us to Be & Do!

Let’s allow His Holy Spirit to “Refine” us for His Glory!

Let’s work on “Realigning” ourselves to His Purpose!

Let’s Remember to get Recharged for the coming task!

From Deb & I

Have a Blessed Christmas…

See you in 2010

Please take the 4 minutes it will take and check out our last “Study” of 2009

“Rejoice”

Realignment

Time flies, but some months seem to move even faster!

And the Christmas season seems like a sprint to the finish line of the year.

Many good intentions get lost in the busyness of this season.

Great opportunities are crowded out by secondary choices.

December could be such a memorable finishing touch, but too often it turns into a dismal rush that leaves us exhausted at year’s end.

We pray this year will be an exception.

God’s Word never tells us to live in a hurry. We don’t worship a frantic God. He has established a pace for living in the hours of the day and the seasons of the year. Rather than accept the timetable the world hands us, why not seek to live our days under God’s timing?

We don’t want to reach the end of the year and say, “I just didn’t spend much time considering the reason for the season this year—again.”We pray that for all of us, this month will hold some special moments of vivid experiences in Christ’s presence.

We need to see His glory! Let’s dedicate this, His season, to Him.

Anyone who has ever had a car Out of alignment knows the damage and the danger this phenomena can create…and it happens so easily, just one pot hole, and Wham!

The Christmas season is a great time to ask ourselves

“Is it Time for Realignment?”

How can you discover the unconscious values you may have embraced this past year? Look at how you spend your time and money. Psychiatrists M. Scott Peck observed, “When we love something it is of value to us, and when something is of value to us, we spend time with it, time enjoying it, and time taking care of it.”

Perhaps it is time to conduct a values audit in your life. Look at your calendar. Review your budget and compare it to your spending habits. Think about your passions. All of those things will lead you invariably to an accounting of your values.

If you are living by values that run contrary to your ideals, philosophy, or theology, consider what changes you must make to align who you are, what you believe, and what you do.

You don’t make decisions because they are easy. You don’t make decisions because they are Cheap. You don’t make decisions because they are Popular. You make decisions because they are Right. ~Theodore Hesburgh

The closer you are to The Christ of Christmas the safer you are.

More Presence = More Power!

How To Live Out Your Values With Integrity:

1. Learn to Articulate your Values Clearly.

2. Review them Daily.

3. Practice them Purposefully.

4. Make Decisions with them Strategically.

5. Teach them to your family Intentionally.

6. Recognize them in each other Publically.

7. Celebrate them Continually.

From Deb & I

HAVE A WONDER – FILLED – CHRISTMAS SEASON!

I Know it’s a Busy Time…But make the Time.. Check out our “STUDY TOOL”

“Realignment”...

And Your feedback is a great Encouragement to us!

This week try and tell at least one person why you are Anticipating Christmas this year.