Bru-tal
adjective
savagely violent
*punishingly hard or uncomfortable
*direct and lacking any attempt to disguise unpleasantness
This last week I flew from Fiji to California and on to Las Vegas to run an amazing race with my LIFE Runner teammates. From the start it was clear that the enemy didn't want us there and he waged war against many of us in our lives and our families, but we pushed forward and arrived right where we were meant to be. I can admit to you that of all of the places in the world the LAST place I wanted to go to for a race was Las Vegas, but it was the exact place God needed us to be.
I no longer struggle with my past addictions of alcohol, cigarettes, and the party lifestyle, but that doesn't mean I go looking for it. It has been a long time since I have been in the environment filled with all of the lusts of the flesh, the things that kept me in darkness for so long, but I trusted God and I went to sin city ready to stand for LIFE and for truth. You cant miss the enemy roaming around in Las Vegas, he doesn't slink, he lives out loud in the open and you can feel his very presence the moment your feet touch ground. We were there to be a small beacon of light in a city shrouded in darkness, it seemed daunting, but then I kept reminding myself who goes before us, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The smoke, the gambling, the drunken masses, "sex" being sold on every billboard, skin everywhere you turned, and lives in the midst of being broken and shattered around every corner. Las Vegas is the place where sin lives in the open, glorified for all to see and encouraged to join in. As I walked through the smokey casino from my room to the street I looked at the people, some drunk in the middle of the day, others hopefully dropping money into slot machines with a dream of getting rich while throwing it all away, many looking for love or breaking vows, my heart broke. My heart broke because I was once these people, desperate for the world to satisfy in some small way not realizing that the world will always fail you. There was a point in my life where I was one who drank to numb the hurt, who searched for love from strangers, who stumbled around in the dark turning my back on the light. I wanted to help them, to show them that love was waiting for them, He is the light and all they need to do is step out of the darkness. Satan is such a liar, and he loves to keep us pinned down in the weight of this world and its troubles, but Jesus is always extending His hand to us, waiting for us, never giving up on us.
Matthew 5:14
"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."
It was a powerful weekend of team building and I am so thankful for my teammates. If I ever had to face Las Vegas they were the people I wanted to do it with. People that I could be real with, express how heavy of a burden my past mistakes felt like surrounded by this place. They were uplifting and encouraging and we, as a team, brought the Light of Jesus into this dark city. We had the opportunity to pray over Las Vegas' pregnancy resource center, First Choice Pregnancy Services. It is a tiny jewel of a clinic in this massive city run by the flesh. It perfectly stood its ground ahead of the gated and uninviting abortion clinic. As I walked down the street praying over the path a pregnant woman would take towards the abortion clinic it warmed my heart to see this center standing in the gap beckoning women in with love and kindness. I was floored by the sheer numbers this center sees each week and it is clear that God is using them to save lives by the thousands! It was a privilege to pray over the clinic, to lay my hands on its walls and ask for blessings and protection, for lives to be saved, both of the mother and the child. I also grasped the cold black bars of the abortion clinic. The moment I began to pray I was overcome and began to cry. These women are lied to by the world, they are given promises that cannot be kept and the world has failed them. In a city where sex sells, and flesh is the currency, women find themselves stuck when they face unplanned pregnancy. They feel like they have no other choice and then the abortion clinic sells them abortion as the only option. My heart was broken right then and there and I continued to pray and cry out to the Lord to reclaim this place for His glory. It is my hope that not one more life will be taken at that clinic, and that First Choice will continue to grow and provide loving care for women in need.
Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand
Race time came and it was less than ideal. First off it was a night race and for me that was a challenge for my food intake, but by the grace of God I worked it out and was able to run and not be full. The Las Vegas Rock n Roll Marathon/Half is huge! I believe that there were nearly 40,000 people with the 4 races combined. I have never seen anything like it. It took a full hour for my corral to make it to the start line. In the time of waiting weather decreased and we faced a brutal race. 20-25mph winds gusting up to 40mph, then came the rain and the temperature was cold. As I stood there cuddled up with teammates waiting for the start I was drawn into the club music that was blasting. Music was always a gateway for me. One of the first things God called me to purge out of my daily life after my complete return to Him was my music. I realized how quickly that familiar music pulled me back into memories of my party days. My heart became heavy waiting and I fought the urge for a night out on the town. I began to pray and then put on my ear buds and began listening to my Christian music. God gently encouraged me forward, reminding me that I was a new creation, the past was behind me and forward was the only direction He wanted me to look. When I passed the start line the rain started and I smiled realizing that this race was going to fight me to the end, but God was with me. As we rounded the corner to head back down the strip, all of its lights, and allure drawing you in I began to pray and thank God for delivering me. I realized that this was my redemptive run. Satan had lost me, God had delivered me back into the fold so many years ago and this was my chance to face the party that used to call my name and reject it for Gods glory. As I ran God began to heal my past. My shame disappeared, my sorrow and regret faded, and I realized that I was brand new. I had faced my fears and God had delivered me. As I ran I prayed, I had to pray, there was no other way I was crossing that finish line. I needed God every single step. It was cold, it was windy, I was tired, but I was not going to give up! There, running amongst thousands, I knew that God had a mighty purpose for not only me, but for LIFE Runners in Vegas and all over the world, I was so happy I went! Sometimes the gusts of wind would nearly knock us over, and by the grace of God I kept standing. That is how life is, the world tries to knock you down, and sometimes it succeeds, but God is there to pick you up if that happens. This race was hard, I struggled with the cold, the wind, and random runners aches that aren't even worth mentioning. God continually encouraged me forward and I found that I had everything I needed. When I run, I rarely run with a time goal because I let God set my pace. I trust God that I go the speed I need to go to impact the people around me with His LIFE affirming message. I did hope to PB this race, and set a hopeful time goal. As I ran and fought the elements I resigned myself that I would just be happy to finish the race. God is so faithful, He gave me so much energy the last 3 miles that I pushed earlier than I ever would have, and if I hadn't been fighting to get through a crowd of walkers and 40mph winds attempting to take me out I know I would have blown my goal out of the water. In the end I did get my best time ever of a half marathon and that was awesome, but that was not the prize. The prize for the weekend was looking my past in the face and saying, "you have no power over me anymore. My sins are bought and paid for and I willingly give my life over to God every single day for His purpose not my own!" The medal was all of the people who approached us and asked about LIFE Runners, or who made encouraging comments. The weekend was a blessing filled with amazing team and friendship building, an opportunity to minister to each others hearts. You see people are looking for something Vegas can't give them, they are looking for love, hope, and freedom and that can only be found in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven
The word of the weekend was "brutal." It comes from a funny elevator encounter with a courageous young man who referred to his first 5K as brutal. You had to be there, but considering that he was speaking to seasoned runners, the idea of a brutal 5k was too far behind us to remember. Fortunately God reminded us what a brutal Marathon/Half marathon looked like the very next day. We laughed and joked about "brutal" races all weekend, and it created some extremely fun memories, but somehow this word "brutal" reached deeper into my heart the more we spoke of it. I began to realize that "brutal" was the perfect word for the battle we fight every day for LIFE. You see women face brutal opposition when they are coerced to get an abortion, they face brutal hardship when friends and family reject them in the face of unplanned pregnancy. They are stuck with the brutal consequences of past abortions that flood them with guilt and sorrow. Those precious unborn are ripped from the womb and die brutal deaths. An abortion is one of the most brutal acts that can be performed on a woman. Brutality is satan's handiwork, he loves to hurt us, to make us suffer. Abortion is his crown jewel, convincing society that it is right to brutally remove the unborn from their mothers womb for convenience sake. We went to Las Vegas to offer love and hope, and I believe for that weekend satan could not step foot in Vegas because we came there as the light of Jesus and the Light drives out the darkness.
God also blessed my family while we were away by answering some prayer needs and bringing healing to some relationships. God is so good, I just can't say that enough. If you lay your burdens at His feet He will carry you and them. He never fails us, even when it feels like He isn't answering. He sees a picture so much bigger than we could ever imagine and I am thankful that I am finally in a place where I am learning to rest in the unknown, because He has it all in the palm of his hands....
Philippians 4:13
I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
adjective
savagely violent
*punishingly hard or uncomfortable
*direct and lacking any attempt to disguise unpleasantness
This last week I flew from Fiji to California and on to Las Vegas to run an amazing race with my LIFE Runner teammates. From the start it was clear that the enemy didn't want us there and he waged war against many of us in our lives and our families, but we pushed forward and arrived right where we were meant to be. I can admit to you that of all of the places in the world the LAST place I wanted to go to for a race was Las Vegas, but it was the exact place God needed us to be.
I no longer struggle with my past addictions of alcohol, cigarettes, and the party lifestyle, but that doesn't mean I go looking for it. It has been a long time since I have been in the environment filled with all of the lusts of the flesh, the things that kept me in darkness for so long, but I trusted God and I went to sin city ready to stand for LIFE and for truth. You cant miss the enemy roaming around in Las Vegas, he doesn't slink, he lives out loud in the open and you can feel his very presence the moment your feet touch ground. We were there to be a small beacon of light in a city shrouded in darkness, it seemed daunting, but then I kept reminding myself who goes before us, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The smoke, the gambling, the drunken masses, "sex" being sold on every billboard, skin everywhere you turned, and lives in the midst of being broken and shattered around every corner. Las Vegas is the place where sin lives in the open, glorified for all to see and encouraged to join in. As I walked through the smokey casino from my room to the street I looked at the people, some drunk in the middle of the day, others hopefully dropping money into slot machines with a dream of getting rich while throwing it all away, many looking for love or breaking vows, my heart broke. My heart broke because I was once these people, desperate for the world to satisfy in some small way not realizing that the world will always fail you. There was a point in my life where I was one who drank to numb the hurt, who searched for love from strangers, who stumbled around in the dark turning my back on the light. I wanted to help them, to show them that love was waiting for them, He is the light and all they need to do is step out of the darkness. Satan is such a liar, and he loves to keep us pinned down in the weight of this world and its troubles, but Jesus is always extending His hand to us, waiting for us, never giving up on us.
"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."
It was a powerful weekend of team building and I am so thankful for my teammates. If I ever had to face Las Vegas they were the people I wanted to do it with. People that I could be real with, express how heavy of a burden my past mistakes felt like surrounded by this place. They were uplifting and encouraging and we, as a team, brought the Light of Jesus into this dark city. We had the opportunity to pray over Las Vegas' pregnancy resource center, First Choice Pregnancy Services. It is a tiny jewel of a clinic in this massive city run by the flesh. It perfectly stood its ground ahead of the gated and uninviting abortion clinic. As I walked down the street praying over the path a pregnant woman would take towards the abortion clinic it warmed my heart to see this center standing in the gap beckoning women in with love and kindness. I was floored by the sheer numbers this center sees each week and it is clear that God is using them to save lives by the thousands! It was a privilege to pray over the clinic, to lay my hands on its walls and ask for blessings and protection, for lives to be saved, both of the mother and the child. I also grasped the cold black bars of the abortion clinic. The moment I began to pray I was overcome and began to cry. These women are lied to by the world, they are given promises that cannot be kept and the world has failed them. In a city where sex sells, and flesh is the currency, women find themselves stuck when they face unplanned pregnancy. They feel like they have no other choice and then the abortion clinic sells them abortion as the only option. My heart was broken right then and there and I continued to pray and cry out to the Lord to reclaim this place for His glory. It is my hope that not one more life will be taken at that clinic, and that First Choice will continue to grow and provide loving care for women in need.
Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand
Race time came and it was less than ideal. First off it was a night race and for me that was a challenge for my food intake, but by the grace of God I worked it out and was able to run and not be full. The Las Vegas Rock n Roll Marathon/Half is huge! I believe that there were nearly 40,000 people with the 4 races combined. I have never seen anything like it. It took a full hour for my corral to make it to the start line. In the time of waiting weather decreased and we faced a brutal race. 20-25mph winds gusting up to 40mph, then came the rain and the temperature was cold. As I stood there cuddled up with teammates waiting for the start I was drawn into the club music that was blasting. Music was always a gateway for me. One of the first things God called me to purge out of my daily life after my complete return to Him was my music. I realized how quickly that familiar music pulled me back into memories of my party days. My heart became heavy waiting and I fought the urge for a night out on the town. I began to pray and then put on my ear buds and began listening to my Christian music. God gently encouraged me forward, reminding me that I was a new creation, the past was behind me and forward was the only direction He wanted me to look. When I passed the start line the rain started and I smiled realizing that this race was going to fight me to the end, but God was with me. As we rounded the corner to head back down the strip, all of its lights, and allure drawing you in I began to pray and thank God for delivering me. I realized that this was my redemptive run. Satan had lost me, God had delivered me back into the fold so many years ago and this was my chance to face the party that used to call my name and reject it for Gods glory. As I ran God began to heal my past. My shame disappeared, my sorrow and regret faded, and I realized that I was brand new. I had faced my fears and God had delivered me. As I ran I prayed, I had to pray, there was no other way I was crossing that finish line. I needed God every single step. It was cold, it was windy, I was tired, but I was not going to give up! There, running amongst thousands, I knew that God had a mighty purpose for not only me, but for LIFE Runners in Vegas and all over the world, I was so happy I went! Sometimes the gusts of wind would nearly knock us over, and by the grace of God I kept standing. That is how life is, the world tries to knock you down, and sometimes it succeeds, but God is there to pick you up if that happens. This race was hard, I struggled with the cold, the wind, and random runners aches that aren't even worth mentioning. God continually encouraged me forward and I found that I had everything I needed. When I run, I rarely run with a time goal because I let God set my pace. I trust God that I go the speed I need to go to impact the people around me with His LIFE affirming message. I did hope to PB this race, and set a hopeful time goal. As I ran and fought the elements I resigned myself that I would just be happy to finish the race. God is so faithful, He gave me so much energy the last 3 miles that I pushed earlier than I ever would have, and if I hadn't been fighting to get through a crowd of walkers and 40mph winds attempting to take me out I know I would have blown my goal out of the water. In the end I did get my best time ever of a half marathon and that was awesome, but that was not the prize. The prize for the weekend was looking my past in the face and saying, "you have no power over me anymore. My sins are bought and paid for and I willingly give my life over to God every single day for His purpose not my own!" The medal was all of the people who approached us and asked about LIFE Runners, or who made encouraging comments. The weekend was a blessing filled with amazing team and friendship building, an opportunity to minister to each others hearts. You see people are looking for something Vegas can't give them, they are looking for love, hope, and freedom and that can only be found in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven
The word of the weekend was "brutal." It comes from a funny elevator encounter with a courageous young man who referred to his first 5K as brutal. You had to be there, but considering that he was speaking to seasoned runners, the idea of a brutal 5k was too far behind us to remember. Fortunately God reminded us what a brutal Marathon/Half marathon looked like the very next day. We laughed and joked about "brutal" races all weekend, and it created some extremely fun memories, but somehow this word "brutal" reached deeper into my heart the more we spoke of it. I began to realize that "brutal" was the perfect word for the battle we fight every day for LIFE. You see women face brutal opposition when they are coerced to get an abortion, they face brutal hardship when friends and family reject them in the face of unplanned pregnancy. They are stuck with the brutal consequences of past abortions that flood them with guilt and sorrow. Those precious unborn are ripped from the womb and die brutal deaths. An abortion is one of the most brutal acts that can be performed on a woman. Brutality is satan's handiwork, he loves to hurt us, to make us suffer. Abortion is his crown jewel, convincing society that it is right to brutally remove the unborn from their mothers womb for convenience sake. We went to Las Vegas to offer love and hope, and I believe for that weekend satan could not step foot in Vegas because we came there as the light of Jesus and the Light drives out the darkness.
God also blessed my family while we were away by answering some prayer needs and bringing healing to some relationships. God is so good, I just can't say that enough. If you lay your burdens at His feet He will carry you and them. He never fails us, even when it feels like He isn't answering. He sees a picture so much bigger than we could ever imagine and I am thankful that I am finally in a place where I am learning to rest in the unknown, because He has it all in the palm of his hands....
Philippians 4:13
I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
