Jsunkist7878's blog

Five days ago, the Lord wrote a strong desire on my heart to be on mission for three things that light me up- cycling, community, sharing the good news! What does this all mean? This means cycling 574 miles in 7 days, from San Fransisco to LA with 2000 other cyclists as part of the Aids Life Cycle Ride. This is community at it’s finest.... pedaling 7-8 hours during the day together, pitching our tents in the late afternoon, and eating together in the evening. I am excited to foster authentic relationships with my fellow cyclists through a common interest, while simultaneously using my love for cycling as a platform to share the love of Christ. Amongst the many cyclists who have not heard the good news, 50% will be of the homosexual lifestyle. I have a friend who is currently living in this lifestyle and has only recently felt the LOVE God has for her. My objective is not to convert (only God does that) my goal is to LOVE and share when prompted!

Recently, I had fellow athlete's ask me how to overcome the fear of performance in our sports. As a believer, the answer is found in 1John 4:17-19, which tells us that perfect love casts our all fear. Perfect love comes from God. When we submit and trust our papa's power & plan instead of our own strength, we can walk through life fearless, with the courage of the holy spirit! What a liberating feeling to be able to walk through life knowing that we cannot mess up, because we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. romans 8:28

My friends question sparked three major revelations for me.

1. If I truly understand the fathers love for me, why am I not walking through life fearless, trusting Him with every decision in my life- big and small?

2. The fathers love is a TRUE gift, releasing us from fear and bondage and providing us freedom. In EVERYTHING we should give thanks. 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18

Finding your purpose

Engrained in humanity is the desire to be known, to have purpose, and to be loved.
I have spent many hours in conversation with God asking how He might use me to serve Him, what He has planned for me, and how I can best use the talents He has given me to glorify Him. This is a contrast to a time in my life where instead of asking God what He wants, I told Him what I wanted. I no longer desire to peruse Jacqueline Harrill’s plans or goals, but only what the Lord has for me. He is a daddy in heaven who sovereign over all and only wants the best for His children.

The holy spirit is our wise counselor who sharpens and encourages us on our Christian walk. In preparation for the new year, I am reflecting through old journals and praising God for my relationship with Him. This past year, though intimacy with Christ, we have won many sweet victories and fought painful battles. We have increased my Trust in HIS plans and grown me into a daughter of faith. In preparing for another year with the Lord, James 4:13-16 spoke to me.

"Now listen, you who say, today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that"

A letter from a friend. His words, not mine, but I thought it was worth sharing.

I feel compelled to share some thoughts in light of Steve Jobs passing. Thoughts that may be very hard for us to accept and to proclaim to a lost world. Without question, I can offer up my utmost respect and dignified remorse to Steve’s family, his friends and his fans for their loss. And all of them are fully deserved of their own loss and grief. And while I fully understand the need to reflect on all his accomplishments and his undeniable success, even still I have been utterly blown away by the responses I have seen and read in the media.

But it’s at this very moment in time at this unique juxtaposition of life, death, wealth and success that we can see all that Solomon spoke of in Ecclesiastics, ”….meaningless..meaningless “

Can you believe it has almost been a year since I have competed in my last Triathlon?
That’s right. I have not done a triathlon since Ironman Louisville last August.

Aloha! The Lord has just tickled my heart with all the undeserved travel He's blessed me with this year. The year started with a ski trip in Denver (visiting Lauren), mission trip to Belize, cycling trip in the Mediterranean, and now a work-rewards trip with Abbott to the Hawaiian Island of Kauai! The honor of receiving the The President's Council award marked my one year anniversary with the company! The trip consisted of approx 80 top performers in our company plus their guests! I brought my good friend, and an amazing woman, Ashley Johnson. It was quite a change to be conversing on the beach in a bikiniwith a cocktail versus a meeting room in with a powerpoint! One of the things I appreciate most about Abbott is the transparency of leadership. Of course there are politics, but for the most part, our people are just genuine folks who are passionate about their faith, hobbies, families, and work!

Please forgive me for my tardiness. It’s been almost three months since our cycling trip to Mallorca, Spain and about 2 months since our trip to the island of Kuai. This season in my life has certainly been blessed with travel and opportunity. I am very undeserving of it all, but certainly appreciative. When praying about the new-year, I really felt God say that He wanted me to enjoy 2011 by inscribing His word on my heart, traveling and developing relationships. Through this vision, it is amazing to look back and see how much He has made possible. No dream, vision or ideas is too powerful for our God. In contrast, our dreams and visions often fall short of the plans He has for our lives. I struggle daily to let go of the ideas and visions I have for my life; however, as I practice submission to God, it becomes easier and easier for Him to move in my life.

Psalm 91:11 “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” (NASB)

When racing, I can typically be seen smiling, encouraging the athletes around me, and thanking the volunteers for their time. Channeling my energy positively towards others encourages me in return! I am energized and blessed by those around me and use that energy to stay positive, to run faster, and to be stronger. Today began with a bit of a different tune. I woke up this morning un-excited to race and just sad as a result of some recent heart-ache. I tried to talk my way out of this funk, but was only able to build “superficial” confidence in my ability. Praise God, I am not dealing with MY ability alone, but Christ's, who gives me strength.I had specific goals for this race, but I felt I had lost the battle before the race even began. I invited the Lord to race with me and knew He was the only way I would mentally survive this race.

This is a short story, passed onto me by a friend, that forces us to self reflect on if we view life's challenges as opportunities, or as obstacles.

A shoe factory sends two marketing scouts to a region of Africa to study the prospects for expanding business. One sends back a telegram saying,
“Situation hopeless, no one wears shoes”
The other writes back triumphantly,
“Glorious business opportunity, they have no shoes.”

To the marketing expert who sees no shoes, all the evidence points to hopelessness. To his colleague, the same conditions point to abundance and possibility. Each scout comes to the scene with his own perspective; each returns telling a different tale. If we live in the universe of possibility, on the whole, you are more likely to extend your business and have a fulfilled life if you have the attitude that there are always new customers out there waiting to be enrolled rather than that money, customers, and ideas are in short supply.