Always Joyful

See update below:


Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota on June 21, 2014 quickly approaches. My excitement escalates in anticipation and preparation of running my first competitive marathon in fourteen years.

 

This course appears serene, beginning in Two Harbors and traversing southwest along Lake Superior to Duluth. My heart rejoices as God blesses my body, mind and spirit with the necessary ability and desire for consistent seventy-five to one-hundred weekly miles of training.

 

Tempo runs, intervals, easy runs and long runs each provide encouraging progression. Increasing calorie usage and rate of metabolism enhance the body weight’s mandatory descent to competitive levels. These increasing fitness levels radiate the symbiotic relationship of speed, strength and appropriate body weight. Running fast and far is fun!

 

Joyfully, I continually thank and praise God for these blessings.

 

My daily consumption of Cellgevity increases intracellular glutathione, which reduces inflammation and serves as the body’s master anti-oxidant.  However, I inadvertently allow my Cellgevity supply to deplete before the next shipment arrives.

 

Running and the activities surrounding graduation from Dallas Theological Seminary distract me from assuring a continued supply of Cellgevity. A week after emptying the Cellgevity bottle, inflammation along the tibia in the lower right leg from a sprain prevents running.

 

Darts of apprehension and doubt immediately strike my mind, especially because of my high expectations for the quickly approaching marathon.

“How serious is this injury?”

“Will I recover in time to run this marathon competitively?”

 

Gentle, yet convicting, promptings of God’s word and sovereignty quickly extinguished the enemy’s fiery darts (Eph 6:12, 16).

 

“^aRejoice always; ^apray without ceasing; in everything ^agive thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thess 5:16-18).”

 

Scripture radiates God’s complete eternal control (Job 40, 41, 42:1, 2). He causes what He wants to cause and allows what He wants to allow. Who is man to question God?

 

Additionally, these promptings initiate reflection of my scripturally derived purpose of running and all of life; glorify God in everything. Additionally, I define success as achieving God’s will for my life (Mt 7:21). I have expounded upon this in numerous other writings, so will avoid doing so here.

 

In congruence to these principles, relationships—with God and people—comprise the foundation of each of my activities. As disclaimer, God’s grace, mercy and love fill in the vast perpetual shortcomings in every area of my life.

 

Acknowledging God’s sovereignty illuminates physical setback to my training for the marathon as part of God’s intended training program for me. Consequently, I am rejoicing in this sore leg as much as I rejoice when running a great twenty-miler training run or a personal record (PR) in a race.

 

 Life consists of relationships. This sore leg provides opportunities to meet and converse with new people. These conversations each lead to discussing our day-to-day relationships with Christ and His people.

 

We when seek to obediently serve Christ, He provides opportunities to glorify Him through serving others. Loving others and rejoicing in God’s abundance during the exceptionally good as well as the less than favorable moments provides great impact on those with whom we encounter.

 

A joyful heart, praising God while loving and serving others deepens our relationship with people and God!

 

Yes, I am excited about this sore leg. It will heal. I will, by God’s grace, run fast and far very soon. Most likely, I will run well in Grandma’s Marathon on June 21, 2014.


Yes, Joyfully, I continually thank and praise God for these blessings.

  

However, regardless of my health leading up to a marathon or any event, life never promises the tangible results that we often seek, such as a great marathon. Yet, running serves as a catalyst through which the Holy Spirit intertwines my life with others.

 

Yes, God is preparing me for Grandma’s Marathon and relationships with His people using methods that I failed to consider a few weeks ago. He is the ultimate coach. I greatly trust my running coach, Lyle Claussen and I certainly trust to eternal, perfect God of creation in everything.


Whatever challenges you encounter, probably putting my sore leg to shame in comparison, seek to obediently serve Christ. Then, rejoice in everything, pray always and be thankful. Because, this includes God’s training program for your life at this moment.

 

In so doing, you will glorify God in your race (1 Cor. 9:24). Trust God!


Grandma's Marathon 2014

Driving thru St. Paul, MN last Friday (6/20/2014) on the way to Duluth, I reflected on once entering the Twin Cities Marathon (TCM) with a sore leg just as I had on this drive to Duluth. Despite the leg hurting during warm-up and the first mile @ TCM, I managed a 2:27 followed by a solo 2:24 twenty-seven days later.

I reflected on this for optimism, while diligently praying for speed, strength and wisdom. U...nfortunately, this time the leg also hurt during warm-up and failed to hold-up, I quit running after passing the 1st mile in a blazing 11+ minutes--far exceeding my previous mile PW.

However, the Lord did and does saturate my heart with Peace, Joy and Gratitude (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18), just as during the more favorable results. Additionally, I am exceptionally Grateful and Joyful to see friends achieve amazing performances in Duluth. Congrats again to each of you!

Grateful precedes Greatfull! Always Trust God! (Prov. 3:5-6)

 

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!

 

Rick E. Meyer

See, Believe, Achieve Inc.

www.rickEmeyer.com

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^a Phil 4:4

^a Eph 6:18

^a Eph 5:20

Prayer Yields Joy

"Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (NIV))


Continual prayer, thankfulness and joy results in receiving escalating joy, gratitude and desiring additional prayer.


Thirty-six hours after my dad received a diagnosis of lung cancer, he requested that we "pray for God to bless everyone we know." His request contained complete inclusiveness of God blessing "everyone we know," absent any conditions of his relationship with them throughout his or their life.

This was the last prayer that I heard him request. Hydrocephalus, water on the brain, prevented future understandable conversations. He died three weeks later.


Praying, especially for God's blessings on others, yields amazing—immeasurable—gratitude and joy in one's heart and mind. The joy resembles the "runner's high" and easily surpasses any temporary euphoric experience from alcohol. Praying for God's blessings on others, everyone we know, becomes addictive and leads to praise and worship of God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.


Picture the person(s) for whom you pray, along with their family and any of the specifics for which you may pray for them. I seek prayer requests from a few people, then write them down in a little black book. A common request includes assistance with writing papers for school. While praying, I visualize the person completing the paper with peace, contentment and joy.


I pray for others as the Lord places them on my heart and mind. Most have no idea that I pray, or you, pray for them. Yet, I am led to share with a few that I do pray for them. Most express immense gratitude, a few fail to respond. Our purpose in praying for them rests in our obedience to God as opposed to their approval or favorable response. We do not know what life challenges they are experiencing, and maybe they are not sure how to respond because you are the first non-family member to pray for them.


Regardless of the response or lack of response, we receive magnanimous joy and gratitude when we focus solely on serving the Lord in praying for others. Hold on tightly to your socks, lest this joy knock them off.


Pray for others,unconditionally, in obedient love for the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!


See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!


Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickEmeyer.com

 

Leader Servant: Wisdom

If the most people understand and agree with virtually everything you or I say, then you and I probably speak with the wisdom of man instead of the Wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:18-31). We receive and communicate with the Wisdom of God through persistent, diligent prayer, Bible study and associating with spiritually mature Christians.

Serve with Godly Wisdom. Seeking, Receiving and Communicating God's Wisdom will attract the people, opportunities and challenges that God desires in our lives. Growth mandates challenges! Receive God's challenges in your life with Prayer, Gratitude (Thankfulness) and Joy (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ's Wisdom!

Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickEmeyer.com

Leader Servant: Hope and Joy

As Leader Servants, how do we generate infectious hope and joy in ourselves and organization? Let's examine scripture, the pure word of God. Wisdom originates from God (Proverbs 1:7, 20-23; 2:6-10) 1 Corinthians 2:10).

        ^"And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations (afflictions), knowing that tribulation (affliction) brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:3-5 (NASB))."
 

        "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4)."

Do you ever tire of life's challenges? I do too! In our high speed, instant technology world, I seek instant hope. Hope guarantees the joy demanded of us in 1 Thessalonians.
 

        "^aRejoice (Be Joyful (NIV)) always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form (or appearance) of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:16-22)."
 

        "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1–2 (NASB95))."

 The road to hope begins with challenges, afflictions, tribulation which produces perseverance or endurance resulting in purified character. Purified character generates hope and joy because of our believing and trusting relationship with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Receiving hope and joy mandate enduring challenges, praise God for the seeds of hope and joy planted in your life, germinating and emerging as challenges with perseverance producing the necessary character to serve God according to His will for your life.

Leader Servants provide and allow challenges suitable for each person, according to their abilities and maturity, in their organization to yield abundant, infectious hope and joy.

Hope and Joy produce physical and emotional characteristics that attract others as customers, vendors and volunteers to your organization.

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!
Rick 

Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickEmeyer.com
  
Reference:
Rom 5:11; 8:23; 9:10; 2 Cor 8:19; Matt 5:12; James 1:2f; Luke 21:19; Phil 2:22; James 1:12; Ps 119:116; Rom 9:33; Heb 6:18f; Acts 2:33; 10:45; Gal 4:6; Titus 3:6; New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ro 5:3–5; Matt 5:12; James 1:12; 5:11; 1 Pet 1:6; Or temptations; 1 Pet 1:7; Heb 6:12; Or steadfastness; Luke 21:19; Lit work; Or mature; Matt 5:48; Col 4:12.