Every year people by the scores set resolutions for the next year in hopes of losing weight, getting out of debt, spending more time with their kids, making better choices, etc and unfortunately many of those resolutions and desires fail and the individuals are frustrated and give up entirely. Fortunately many do not give up and many do achieve the resolutions they set out to achieve for the next year. In most cases those who are successful have a secret to their success and it's because they are persistent, they set a goal, they write it down, they share it with others for accountability and they don't quit no matter how hard the challenge is.

This is what we need to do as believers each day of our lives and especially coming into a new year with new challenges and opportunities that lie ahead of us waiting to be uncovered. We need to not only set New Year resolutions to be successful and healthy in our physical lives, but we also need to set resolutions and goals in our spiritual walk. That is the most important area of our lives that needs growth and development. It is crucial to have a Godly influence and focal point in our spiritual lives and allow it to spill over into our daily walk and lives.

In Habbakuk 2:2-3 (Amplified Version) it states, "Then the Lord answered me and said, “Write the vision And engrave it plainly on [clay] tablets so that the one who reads it will run. “For the vision is yet for the appointed [future] time. It hurries toward the goal [of fulfillment]; it will not fail. Even though it delays, wait [patiently] for it, Because it will certainly come; it will not delay."

We need to write down our visions and goals and make it big and bold so that we can see it and understand it when we are 'running'. We don't need to overcomplicate it or make it something we have to think a lot about. But we need to write them down and keep it close at hand and review it daily and share it with others and have them buy into your vision as well for accountability. If we put God at the forefront of our vision for the next year and the days we walk, we will most surely have success and not be frustrated the way one would be if they did not have vision with a Godly influence.

We pray that 2022 is one full of vision, direction and favor for you as you step into a new season. We challenge you to state your vision and let God work in you and through you. Happy New Year!

It's crazy to think that Christmas is almost here. Literally, the most wonderful time of the year because of the one, true gift that we've been blessed with oh so many years ago. That blessed holy night, when Mary, the mother of Jesus, gave birth to the savior of the world. Isaiah 9:6 captures it best, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

We pray that the gift of God through His son Jesus would capture your attention and heart this Christmas season. May you and your family have a Merry Christmas and a prosperous and happy New Year.

We absolutely love this time of year....as it is often stated, "It's the most wonderful time of the year" and we cannot disagree. In fact, Christmas, is the most wonderful time of the year because Jesus is the reason for the season and it's a joy to celebrate His birth and life. Join us this week as Melissa and Anthony touch on the Christmas story found in Luke chapter 2 and then share two of their favorite Christmas songs along with the history and background. We hope you will be blessed by this conversation and receive something out of it.

Have you ever had questions or frustrations that you wanted to get off your chest and unload on God but where afraid it wasn't something we should do as Christians? It is perfectly fine to question God and many throughout the Bible, including David, Jonah and Job questioned God and were right in doing so. It comes down to the way you question and the intent behind it. Melissa and Anthony dig into why Christians should in fact question God and then how we should seek Him and grow closer to Him through the process.

The word of God states in Proverbs 3:5 "trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding." He wants us to lean not on our own understanding, but rather seek His counsel and wisdom because our understanding is limited, but God's wisdom is infinite.

Psalm 37:23 states, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way." Isn't that such an encouragement? God has laid out a path for us to walk even when we are given free will to do things that we choose. God grants us that freedom, but delights in us when we choose His will over ours.

In this week's episode Melissa and Anthony talk about divine appointments and how God will put certain people in our paths or allows for encounters to happen where He can use us and be glorified. We just have to be ready, willing and able. God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called. And how amazing it is when God allows an opportunity to arise and we have an opportunity to be used by Him to further the Kingdom. 

We firmly believe that no encounter is by accident and that if we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, He will use us in a mighty way.  Join us in this conversation about divine appointments and walking in the destiny God has laid out before you. We pray that you will be encouraged and blessed.

As we approach Thanksgiving we enter a season of thanks and reflection. Many of us will immediately say and respond that we are thankful for our health, for our jobs, for our families and anything else that comes to mind. These are all wonderful things to think about and be thankful for. But Melissa and I would like to challenge you to prayerfully reflect this season and really ponder what we are thankful for and to think about those who are without so much during this time of year. 

We talk about so many things we are thankful for during our podcast this week, but then we take it a little deeper and reflect on how we can take the things we are thankful for and share it with those who are less fortunate. To be true representatives and ambassadors of Christ. To share what we are thankful for with others and share the love of Christ during this season.

In 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 it says, "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

We hope you will be blessed and encouraged in this week's episode.

As it says in the word of God in Joshua 1:6-9, "Be strong and courageous...". We must be willing to obey God without hesitancy to step up to the waters' edge and attempt impossible things know that if God doesn't come through there is no 'Plan B'. 

Melissa and I dig deep into how God stacks the odds against his followers and allows the opportunity to be glorified and seen as the main source. God makes the impossible, possible and is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. We do not need to worry about the situation in front of us, but to trust God and trust in the process. We must be willing to take that leap and know that He is there to catch us. God will never fail us. Later on in Joshua 21:45 it firmly establishes this truth: God keeps his Word. Not one of God's good promises has ever failed, not before the time of Joshua not after, and not now.

Listen in and be encouraged to know that even when the odds are stacked completely against us, that God will lead us to the waters' edge and beyond. Just as Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego walked through the fiery furnace with their unwavering faith and refused to comply to the king's demands, we can overcome the fires that rage in front of us each day.

Much like David was faced with setback after setback in the Old Testament, we are reminded that when there is a set back that is an opportunity for God to make it a stepping stone for success. We all will face setbacks and challenges during our lives, but it's up to us to decide what we are going to do with it. Will we forget everything and run? or face everything and rise? With God, all things are possible. Allow Him to see you through the setback and lead you to the calling He has for you.

This is our official podcast launch with the new format: The Sharpened Runner. The whole focus of this podcast is to share the love of Christ and to encourage and enlighten other runners who are like-minded. We have been called to unite runners to train their body, guard their heart and sharpen their mind and spirit. We are under constant bombardment in this crazy world and we need a place where we can sharpen one another like iron and rise up to the challenges we face.

We know that hard work and perseverance is the path to success, but it is not always a clear or easy one to follow. Many times we are faced with tough and hard situations that we must traverse through to reach the destination. This is just part of life, but God has given us the tools to guide and motivate us during the toughest times. So whether you are not sure what your next step will be (Proverbs 16:3), if the journey is worth the reward (2 Timothy 4:7) or if you just need a reminder that God is always watching and has your back (1 Corinthians 10:31) take some time to listen and be encouraged and blessed. We pray you will receive something along the way and would love to hear from you.

I have my friend Melissa Martinez on to share some insight she received after running the Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd last week. She really feels that we need to focus on the reasons we run and ultimately finishing the race we have begun. This associates with the physical races we sign up for and run, but is taken even deeper when it is compared to our spiritual race we are called to run and finishing what God has started in us. I encourage you to listen to our discussion and be blessed by the raw transparency of the discussion. While we really didn't have a set agenda for the discussion, it was meant to just flow and discuss what came up in the course of our chat. 

 

Breaking News is announced at the end of the podcast that you will want to tune in for.