"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2

Running The Dream

Picture yourself running into a stadium filled with the giants of the faith. Those who have gone on before, watching us run our leg of the race we call life.As she comes alongside us, she seems to glide as we move down the track.

In this race of life, join me as we round a lap with one of the great Old Testament heroes, who is filled with great insight and wisdom. 

A man steps out and approaches the track. He is wearing a white robe and a headdress. As he strides up to us, he immediately begins speaking. He says,“Dreams are conceived long before they are achieved. The period of time between the birth of a dream and its realization is always a process. This period is filled with doubts, adversity, changes, and surprises. During the process, you will experience good days and bad days. And frequently you will be faced with a dilemma: Do you give up, or go on? Without hesitation, I can give you the answer: Don’t give up on your dream.”

Joseph’s Story (Genesis, chapters 37-50)

This is Joseph, the son of Jacob, who went from privileged son to the pit of slavery to the palaces of Egypt.

Why didn’t Joseph give up? He says,”I had twice as many give-ups then go-ons. Every dream contains negative surprises  that can greatly discourage you. Every time I found myself in a give-up time of life, I realized the Lord was with me. That’s what mattered. Even when life made no sense to me, it made sense to God! You never know what God’s timetable will look like. When you’re in the middle of your journey, never give up on your dream!”

" But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." Genesis 50:20

Joseph has a lot to say, so as we come nearer to the end of our lap, he says, “ God is always with you. Develop yourself during the down times. Learn from the pain. Pursue healing in the Word and prayer. Try new things.  Overcome the adversity. Stay strong. Let people refine you, not destroy you and your dream! When your dream is God-given, it’s fulfillment is worth the wait. The realization of my dream far exceeded my expectations. God has in mind for us more than we can imagine. He is the giver of every good and perfect gift, and the fulfiller of every dream He gives.”

Joseph’s Prayers for Us

Sovereign Lord,

I don’t ask that You relieve every pain experienced by my friends; I ask that you fuel them to fulfill their purpose.  Make Your dreams for their lives vivid in their minds, and give them the heart to keep running the race. Amen.

When Joseph finishes praying, he briefly grasps each of our shoulders and gives a quick squeeze of encouragement. Then he departs for the stands.

Quotes from Running With The Giants John C Maxwell

 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2

Running With The Queen

Picture yourself running into a stadium filled with the giants of the faith. Those who have gone on before, watching us run our leg of the race we call life.As she comes alongside us, she seems to glide as we move down the track.

In this race of life, join me as we round a lap with one of the great Old Testament heroes, who is filled with great insight and wisdom. 

“I must tell you something very important.” She says, “God has a place for you.”

Her voice is gentle, but strong. We look into her eyes and she says simply,

 “I am Esther.”

If ever there was someone with a strong sense of place and destiny, it is Esther. “For much of my life, I felt out of place. But no place is out of place when you’re in God’s place.”

Read her story (Esther 1-10)

Have there been times when you felt you weren’t where you belonged? Esther understands. Through her story of hardship to becoming queen it took a lot of courage!  Courage and initiative come when you understand your purpose in life. God not only has a place for us; He has placed us where He needs us. The decision is ours whether we will do what we can where we are!

Esthers story is a great encouragement to us. But she’s not done. As we make the final turn on the track, she tells us this, “For a period of time, you may not understand God’s planning and purpose for your life. But take heart. Just because you don’t comprehend God’s plan for your life doesn’t mean He doesn’t care or doesn’t have one. Have faith and remain obedient to Him. When the time comes that you recognize a call of God on your life, it will fire you to action—even in the face of opposition or danger.”

Esther’s Prayer for Us

Heavenly Father,

Allow my friends to look beyond adversity or feelings of insecurity to see Your greater purpose. Empower them to take joy in the place where You have put them, take comfort in the knowledge that You are in charge, and take action to fulfill the purpose for which You have called them. Amen.

Then with that, Esther glides back towards the stands to take her place with the others.

Running with Noah

 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2

Picture yourself running into a stadium filled with the giants of the faith. Those who have gone on before, watching us run our leg of the race we call life.

In this race of life, join me as we round a lap with one of the great Old Testament heroes, who is filled with great insight and wisdom.

We round the first circuit of the track and we see an ancient man coming out of the stands to greet us. His face is weathered; his hands are boney and walks with a limp. As you and I approach him, we are surprised to find that he falls in step alongside us. He turns to us and says,

“One person can make a difference.”

He continues, “I know because when God decided to destroy the earth with water, He made a covenant with me so that humankind might not perish.”(Genesis 8:21) And so I built a boat.

We then realize, it’s Noah.

His righteousness saved humanity from extinction. As we run with Noah, he shares encouraging words…(Genesis 6-9) 

"You can make a difference for your family. Living a life of integrity and obedience to God always has the potential to positively impact others. Those who are closest to you benefit the most when you do the right thing.

Noah says, “Don’t be afraid to stand out in a crowd. I stood for God when everyone else in the world stood against me! Difference-makers are different. Don’t let that stop you!”

For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." (2Chronicles 16:9)

God is always looking for someone to stand in the gap for Him, and He desires to partner with people who love Him.

Noah’s Prayer for us...

Dear Lord,

Please help my fellow runners to understand the power of one. Speak to them about the unique task You call them to, and give them the will and the power to follow through so that they, too, can make a difference. Amen

And with that, Noah slows and bids us goodbye. We watch as he returns to his place in the stands, and then we notice a woman is coming out to run with us…

Quotes from Running With The Giants John C Maxwell

The Call

I came across this yesterday and I found it very interesting. You may, as well,  if going through a time of decision, due to God's call on your life.

Service is the overflow which pours from a life filled with love.....

When it pleased God . . . to reveal His Son in me . . . —Galatians 1:15-16

The call of God is not a call to serve Him in any particular way. My contact with the nature of God will shape my understanding of His call and will help me realize what I truly desire to do for Him. The call of God is an expression of His nature; the service which results in my life is suited to me and is an expression of my nature. The call of the natural life was stated by the apostle Paul— “When it pleased God . . . to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him [that is, purely and solemnly express Him] among the Gentiles . . . .”

Service is the overflow which pours from a life filled with love and devotion. But strictly speaking, there is no call to that. Service is what I bring to the relationship and is the reflection of my identification with the nature of God. Service becomes a natural part of my life. God brings me into the proper relationship with Himself so that I can understand His call, and then I serve Him on my own out of a motivation of absolute love. Service to God is the deliberate love-gift of a nature that has heard the call of God. Service is an expression of my nature, and God’s call is an expression of His nature. Therefore, when I receive His nature and hear His call, His divine voice resounds throughout His nature and mine and the two become one in service. The Son of God reveals Himself in me, and out of devotion to Him service becomes my everyday way of life. --Oswald Chambers

Seek HIS face..

"Look to the LORD and his strength; seek His face always." 1 Chronicles 16:11



So many times we become discouraged, whether it's from work, school, people, or just plain life. We forget Who walks beside us every day, wanting to fill our hearts with His peace and guidance. We get easily distracted with the demands of life and stress. God knows, but He longs for our companionship. God wants to light our path as it says in Proverbs 3:5-6 from the Message Bible it reads,

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
   don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
   He's the one who will keep you on track."

If we pray intentionally with His eyes as our focus, His heart beat as our own, His step in stride with ours, what a difference it could make in our every day life.
Let Him fill the emptiness you feel, and be the joy that fills your heart, day in and day out. He is the Only answer.


Lord, thank you for loving us. Forgive us when we let the demands of life distract us from Your face. You know our hearts, You know us inside and out. Thank you for Your guidance and Truth. In Your blessed and Holy name, Amen.
 "As for me, I will continue beholding Your face in righteousness, rightness, justice, and right standing with You; I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake [to find myself] beholding Your form and having sweet communion with You." Psalms 17:15

Submit to the Potters Hands

"Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our Potter, and we all are the work of Your hand." Isaiah 64:8

Something I've learned this past year is this exact thing. God wants to give hope with a future! What it is, we learn of it, step by step, in His timing. He reveals it just as He molds us, layer by layer. He's an amazing God! If we wait on Him, He will give us the desires of our heart. Begin to breathe this prayer every day. "Lord, reveal Yourself and Your plan You have for my life. Point me in Your direction, the path You have for my life."

You will be amazed what He will show you!

Father God, bless those who intentionally want to seek You with their whole heart for their families and future. Give them strength, power, courage, and the peace only You can give...in Your precious name, Amen.