Hitting the Trail

  Today I want to share a few thoughts with you that I had while I was running this morning.  Now, to be fair, it has been over a year since I have run.  Prior to that I had become an avid runner.  I was going to the trail almost every day, and on my days off I was running around 7 miles.  But then I hit a snag.  Two snags in fact.  In June of last year I dropped a dresser on my foot and ended up in a boot for a month.  It's safe to say this effectively stopped my running for a period of time.  And just about the time when I was thinking my foot had healed enough to start again, I was bitten by a dog on my other foot.  This prevented me from running for a few more weeks, and after that it got cold and snowy, and from that time on I basically gave up on running.  In fact, I haven't even attempted to run since last June.  My body had gotten to a place where I thought of myself as someone who "used to run."
  Have you ever been there?  Maybe not with running, but with your life in general?  Maybe something got you off track with your career.  Maybe you got sidelined by illness, having kids, or caring for a loved one, and maybe now you think of yourself as someone who "used to have a good career."  Maybe it's your health.  Maybe your travel schedule or your family schedule caused you to start making poor food choices and stop exercising, and now you feel like you are just someone who "used to be healthy."  Maybe you used to be strong spiritually.  You were grounded in your faith and had a strong relationship with God, but maybe you made a wrong choice, and then another, and another, until you aren't even sure now where you are at with God.  You just see yourself as someone who "used to be religious."
  We all have things in life that knock us off course, change our direction, or slow us down for a time.  But many times we continue that pattern long after the original cause for our change in direction is gone.  But what I want to remind you today is that it is never to late to get back on course.  You can be someone who has a great career, is an avid runner, is healthy, has a strong relationship with God, or any number of life goals you may have let fall by the wayside.  You won't get there by looking back at what you used to be though.  You can only get to where you should be by looking ahead and starting one step at a time down the right path.
  When I started down the trail jogging today, at first it felt heavenly.  I had a spring in my step, and it felt so good to be running again.  But after a few hundred feet my body started to question, "Are we really doing this?  We're going to keep running?"  My lungs and legs wanted to stop, but my brain said, "Just keep moving."  And when I made it almost around the track I realized something.  I was letting go of the past, running free of my false ideas about my inabilities, and when I crossed the line to finish the lap, I knew in my head, "I did it.  I am still a runner."
  Let this be a reminder to you that no matter how long you've been off the path or no matter how far you are from where you were, all you need to do to become what you're meant to be is take the first step, then another, and another.  Don't quit.  Finish the first lap, and when you do, you will once again know that you can do it, and you have done it, and you are making it.  Don't let the past lie to you about who you are now and what you can be in the future.  Get out there and hit the trail today.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.W.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

  Have you ever been on one of those train rides or roller-coasters or waterslides that goes into a dark tunnel.  One of the ones that is pitch black and you have no idea where you are going.  Now, I know some of you would never go on a ride like that, and that's ok, but for those of us who do, we go on the ride, and we don't panic when it goes into the dark because we know that the tracks lead back out into the light.  We can enjoy the thrill of the unknown because we know that eventually we will end up where we are supposed to be.  

  But what about when that happens in life?  When you are traveling along just fine and then suddenly everything goes black, or when you suddenly can't find your way and you just seem to be being pushed along with the days.  It is during these times of darkness, confusion, or seeming lostness that we must lean into our faith, and more importantly, trust the promises of the One who inspires our faith.  Often times we know in our hearts the promises God has given us: for a hope and future (Jeremiah 29:11), for all things to work out for good (Romans 8:28), for healing (Isaiah 53:5), forgiveness (1 John 1:9), for supernatural provision (2 Peter 1:3), and for so many other things.  But sometimes we choose to only see the darkness around us, rather than looking ahead, knowing with confidence that the light of hope will appear in the distance.  

  When we remind ourselves that God is the one who built the tracks, and He knows exactly where we are headed, then we can be at peace even when we are unsure of where God is taking us.  We can have assurance He is bringing us towards something good.  We can fix our eyes ahead of us and rest in the knowledge that we are headed toward the light.  Do not let times of darkness or confusion in your life cause you to derail yourself or your progress.  Cling to the hope we have in God's promises and continue to walk down the path.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.W.  

Playing the Losing Game

  Good Morning Friends!  Have you ever become so entrenched in your own struggles that you forget for a time that other people are struggling too?  I believe we often get tied up in our "woe is me" attitude, and we block out the fact that other people might be going through the same things and could use our help.  The other day my son told me the he and his friends were having an argument about which of them has the worst life.  (Insert eye roll here.)  Now, none of these boys has a bad life... not even slightly.  But my son was angry because his friend had told him "Bad stuff happens in everybody's life."  Basically a nice way of saying, "Get over yourself."  And although we can all shake our heads at a few boys tossing around their problems as if the world rested on their shoulders, don't we as adults do the same thing?  How often when a friend tells us about a situation they are experiencing do we jump in and begin to "one-up" them with what we are going through.  Essentially, we are playing the "who has the worst life" game without even realizing it.
  You see, my son's friend was right.  We all have bad things happen in our lives.  We all have hurts and losses and disappointments.  But we also all have blessings, good things we can be thankful for, and things to celebrate.  Maybe it's time we started reminding each other of the victories in our lives instead of keeping score of the losses.  We are never too busy to give a friend a hug and some words of encouragement.  We should never be so focused on ourselves that we can't reach out to someone else.  Now, maybe you aren't able to fill their exact need right now.  Maybe you can't write a check that will cover their need, but you can send a card with Scriptures to lift them up.  Maybe you don't have time to go cook or clean for someone who just had surgery, but you can send a gift card for a pizza delivery service.  There are all kinds of ways we can be a blessing to someone, even in the midst of our own struggles.
  I'm not saying our own problems aren't real.  Believe me, I know.  I have recently gone through a time of heartache where it was all I could do some days to get out of bed.  And during those days, I can tell you that I wasn't thinking much about other people's hurts, but I can tell you that the little ways people reached out to me.. a message on Facebook, a gift card to take my family out to dinner, looking out for me and checking in when they knew I wasn't doing well, meant the world to me as I wrestled with my own hurts.  And as I started to recover, looking for little things I could do to lift others up went a long way towards healing my spirit as well.  If you are in the midst of a great struggle right now, my heart aches for you, because I know how much life can hurt, but I also want you to know that you are not alone in the valley, that you will come out on the other side, and while you are in the desert, take a look around... you might find there is someone who needs you to take their hand and walk through it with them.  I love you very much, and I cannot wait to see you succeed!

~K.W.  

Playing the Waiting Game

  Good Morning! Are you waiting for something today?  Maybe you are waiting for a package to arrive, a promotion to appear, or a relationship to be restored.  So much of our time here on earth is spent waiting for the next big event. But what we often miss is that our times of waiting can be times of joy, celebration and peace. We do not have to be anxious, discouraged, or frustrated by times of waiting. When God asks us to wait for something it is for a reason. Perhaps we aren't ready to handle that blessing yet. Maybe it's not the right timing for our family. I was recently reminded by my brother that, "God always has our best interest at heart." Knowing this, we can relax and enjoy the times when we are just waiting. 

  The waiting lesson has been one I have had to learn over and over again. It seems there is always something on the horizon for which we must wait another day, month, year, etc... I was talking yesterday about a recent frustration I had faced when my brother made the profound statement, "If I were you I would be excited because this means that God has something awesome in store." Wow! What a powerful insight. Do we have enough faith to rejoice when we don't get what we want because we know God is bringing us to something much better? If we truly know the heart of our God is to bless us and give us good gifts, then Yes!  Romans assures us that "He works all things together for the good of them that love Him."  (Romans 8:28)  

  Take courage then, my friend. If you are waiting for your next blessing, do so with a grateful heart, knowing that God is working it out in the best possible way.  Don't walk around frustrated you don't have what you want yet. Go around celebrating the goodness of our God, and your times of waiting will seem to fly by.  After all, "A cheerful heart is good medicine." (Proverbs 17:22)

  Whatever you are waiting for today, do so with an expectant joy, knowing that the Father loves to give good gifts to His children. (Matthew 7:11) You have a great future ahead of you if you are willing to wait for it in patience and faith. Get out there and celebrate through your waiting! I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W.