P-R-E-S-S ON

I returned home Friday evening, to celebrate my 22nd wedding anniversary with my bride Alma, after spending most of the week at the ICSC Texas Retail Roundup Convention. One of the highlights of each convention is the prayer breakfast hosted by the Retail Christian Network. It is always refreshing to meet others in the industry who call Christ their Savior, enjoy a good breakfast, hear a testimony or brief message about our Lord, and pray.

God is so amazing and He always assures me in different ways that He is in control. The message was delivered by Tarrant (last name not remembered at this time) with Panera Bread. He is a graduate of TCU and played football there. Naturally, his message had a football theme but Phillipians 3:12-14 was the verse his message centered around.

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

He used the example of a football team being behind in the score and the quarterback working hard to rally his team to a last minute victory. We, too, as we go through life, have to keep our sight on the goal, the prize, the victory that our faith will bring. We will have trials and tribulations but we must press on.

P-Patience. Phillipians 4:6 - 7 Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
R-Reflect. Think about what you know, about what you have been trained to do.
E-Extra Effort. Go the extra mile
S-Support. Get others to believe in the vision, the goal. Encourage others.
S-Score. Finish Strong. Battles will be lost, but don't lose the war.

Jesus was the best quarterback ever....and His best score was for you and me on the cross.

Don't worry about what you don't have control over. That is what I keep telling myself with regard to my situation. I take comfort knowing that God is in control.

Matthew 6: 25 - 34

25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I leave tomorrow to be able to make my appointment at 7 am on Tuesday morning. I will write an update Tuesday afternoon or evening. May God Bless.