walked past the home of Andrew’s skateboarding buddy.
“The Reason I Run“
“Run 101″
“I Was a Prayer Drop Out.“
“Teach Me to Pray.“
BREATHE
“The Fragrance of Christ“
“Inhale – Exhale”
This is an excerpt from the eBook I am writing Run, Pray, Breathe – How to Go the Distance in Prayer.
The book has 3 main sections.
RUN
The Reason I Run
Run 101
PRAY
I Was a Prayer Drop Out.
Teach Me to Pray.
BREATHE
The Fragrance of Christ
Inhale – Exhale
From RUN – The Reason I Run
So many things every day had the potential of bringing me to utter despair. One day I stood before Andrew’s closet and drew a deep breath hoping to inhale a familiar scent. I touched the sleeves of the shirt he had last worn to church. Unbelievable to think he had worn it on a Sunday as he sat next to me on the pew and less than twenty-four hours later, he lay unconscious in a hospital bed. Holding my breath, I checked the pockets of his favorite pair of jeans. Empty. My eyes fell on his last pair of Nike athletic shoes. He had barely worn them as the tumors in his brain affected the left side of his body causing partial paralysis. I slipped my feet into his shoes. They were too big for me. Still I tightened the laces and walked through the quiet house. I cried aloud, “Andrew, I wish I could have stood in your place and taken the pain for you. I would have given my life for yours but I didn’t have that choice.”
Linking to Soli Deo Gloria ~
We all have them.
Seasons of little to say.
Weeks when words are few.
Days when ideas jump but don’t settle.
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| Running for Team Andrew |
One discipline in my life that has remained constant is running.
The other discipline that has taken a beating has been prayer.
For what is the greatest obstacle to prayer?
Unanswered prayer.
Oh I know the common response: “God answers every prayer with either a ‘Yes,’ a ‘No’ or a ‘Wait.’ “
Well, let me give you my honest reply to that one. It doesn’t feel like a good enough answer when your child dies.
And so I began to run. Not away. But to. To God.
And in the running, I found Him to be greater than an unanswered prayer. Greater than “No.” Greater than “Wait.”
When I run, He speaks to me. He inspires me. He runs with me.
Last week I began training to run a 1/2 marathon in January – my second one. This takes time. And prayer takes time.
I have come to believe that the effectiveness of short prayers hinge on the foundation of longer ones. Since we lost our son Andrew, I have been guilty of being a short prayer. But the Holy Spirit is convicting me to pray longer.
As a runner I know the discipline of running parallels that of praying. And that is my inspiration for an eBook on combining running (or walking) with a prayer plan. The book is Run, Pray, Breathe and it’s powerful plan that
If you are a runner or if you prefer to walk your workout, this “power plan” has the potential to transform your life! I’ll let you know how and when you can order it.
“Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!”
Hebrews 12:1-3 The Message Bible