Finish the Race

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  The second annual 5K benefit to aid the building of a local homeless shelter had ended successfully with a whopping $25,000 raised. Two walkers remained steadfast on the course. One had no original intention of walking; the other had every intention of completing the journey, no matter how long it took. That journey would take two hours. With the assistance of crutches, college-student Erin began the race. Runners whizzed past and walkers trekked toward the goal. The distance widened between Erin and other participants. Born with cerebral palsy, Erin displayed the fortitude of one who is not used to…

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Hope Springs Eternal…So They Say

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   “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:1-5). Who reading this today has been…

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Follow Your Dream

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  All of us have dreams of what we want to do with our lives. Sometimes those dreams get sidetracked by the reality of life. Sometimes they’re so long in coming that we tend to give up and think, “What’s the use?” How do we make those dreams come true? Whether the dream is about a career choice, a place you want to visit, or something you would really like to do, the dream can come true. Fulfillment depends on attitude and faith. By attitude, I mean surrounding ourselves with the resources or the tools and information we need to…

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Following the Leader

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  “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…Let us fix our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1b-2a NIV). A baton strikes a music stand. Absolute silence falls on the auditorium. All eyes fix on the 500-voice choir—all of their eyes are fixed on the director. He lifts his baton and the orchestra plays. A few measures later, he brings in the sopranos followed by the alto section, then the men. They have learned to read his hand gestures, large and small. When to hush. When to soar. When to accent. When to cut short. When to start….

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Finding God’s Purpose

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By Dianne Barker “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain” (Psalm 127:1NIV). Got it. Unless the Lord does it, our best efforts will fail. Synonyms for “vain” are ineffective, hopeless, unsuccessful, unproductive, futile, useless, worthless. Why would anyone pursue such a life? Who gets up in the morning desiring your day’s work be ineffective, unsuccessful, unproductive, futile, useless, worthless? We’re off and running, determined to achieve something significant. But if we’re trusting in our own wisdom and strength, our best efforts will be…

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Amazing Faith on Perseverance Road

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Dianne Barker here with encouragement for your journey. Discouragement is a persistent enemy. That’s why I love offering others a sip of nourishment as they travel Perseverance Road. For most of us, hearing from God isn’t the problem. Our problem is continuing to believe God. We clearly heard his voice and gladly followed him. And then…the straight path grew narrow and tangled. Exhaustion turned our feet to lead and doubt set up camp. Lord, is this the road you chose? Did I miss a signpost?

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Biting the Bullet

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Writing often comes by the sweat of one’s brow. Had I waited for inspiration throughout my writing career, I would have written few words. Most of what I’ve written over the years has come from sheer perseverance and a strong determination to get the job done.

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