Enter at Your Own Risk...

Today I want to let you into my mind to have a glance into a little of the intimacy between God and me; therefore the warning: ‘Enter at Your Own Risk.’ Each year since my salvation in March 1990 I spend the last thirty minutes of the old year and the first 30 minutes of the New Year in prayer and in the Word with God. During that time I am looking back and forward with Him as the filter. During that time I always ask Him to give me a verse and direction over my life for the New Year. This year I began reminding Him several weeks out that I would need the verse and direction from Him soon. (I know He knows me but I just wanted to get the ball rolling. Ha ha!) On New Year’s Eve during the time of prayer and reading I never really felt like God gave me anything specific. I did sense that He was leading me to an awareness of not letting myself get entangled in so many everyday life issues that draw my attention away from the things of God. As you  know, New Year’s Day fell on Sunday this year, so that morning off to church I went to our first morning service. The message was on Philippians 3:12-16. Verses 14-16 are the verses that God through His Holy Spirit hung on my heart that morning.

¹⁴I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. ¹⁶Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

I love that passage as many of us believers do! But this time as I sat and listened to the Pastor, a very clear picture was building in my mind. It was like God was allowing me to not only hear the message, but He was also impressing upon me that this passage would be His Word and direction for me for this year. A picture that I have witnessed in my coaching days and in sports’ pictures came to my mind: a runner. He is in the last leg of a distance run, he has started to move away from the other runners, he is picking up the pace, he is coming out of the last corner headed down the home stretch, his mind is fixed on the finish line, his sprint is smooth and determined. He doesn’t look back at all to see where the other runners are because he knows when he stepped away from them. His mind has shifted from merely running the race to the goal. He sees nothing but the goal at hand. His eyes and heart are fixed! NOW is the time! Run!!!! I have no idea how all this presses out in the physical. What I know is that when it is done, I will know Him more! Amen. So if you see me anywhere around this year you will know this intimate truth between God and me: I’m running because His Love compels me to.

In our ministry staff meeting today we spent some of our time discussing our upcoming opportunity to minister to the missionary women in the Dominican Republic. We are looking at dates at the end of May 2012. Yesterday, we received a check for $300 as our first donation towards sponsoring one of the possible 50 missionary women who will be there. Even as I write these words I ask you to ask Him if you should be a part of giving to this retreat. If so, then just do it my dear followers of Christ.

We are looking to an awesome year of ministering to our missionary women overseas.  Please remember to pray for them, their families, ministries, health, finances, etc. Stand in the gap for them in prayer this year as often as God brings them to mind. Pray for me as I travel more and more to tell others about Pure Joy and the opportunity individuals, organizations, and churches have to partner with us.

I pray as you start your New Year that you have sought God for His direction and Word.  If not then please, please, stop the bus and wait on Him to move you through His Spirit.  He knows and He cares! Don’t leave home without Him!

Love you all, and I am exciting about serving Him with you this year!

Running,

His,

Vickie

p.s. I felt so strong about how God spoke to me I contacted a friend this past week to do me a pencil drawing of that runner.  I’ll share it with you when she is done.