Race to the Finish

Photo credit: Free-images.com

A knot formed in my gut when I clicked on the button to register for the half marathon in 2011. I hadn’t run consistently for many years, and then one of our daughters somehow convinced me I could finish 13.1 miles! After I registered, she gave me a daily training plan to follow, to keep me motivated and prevent injury over the four months leading up to the race. 

Following the training plan helped me keep my eye on the goal and reassured me I’d be ready on race day. I loved running and enjoyed this training, though there were challenges. I missed the camaraderie of running with a group, as I had in college. When it was raining, or when I felt tired, I was tempted to cheat by skipping ‘just this one day’ or by cutting the run short. Then I realized that ‘just this once’ could make it easier to cheat in the future, so I stuck with the plan. I reminded myself that, even though I was alone, what I chose to do each day mattered. And Elizabeth was right: I could run 13.1 miles! I completed the race, was excited with my time, and felt part of a large community of runners who could joyfully shout with me, “I did it!”

Christians have a goal, too. Our goal is to ‘run the race’ toward the Place of Perfect Peace. Our daily finish line is life with Christ. We get there by serving Christ in the people around us. Yes, we encounter challenges. Sometimes it feels like we’re running alone, or our mood matches the dreary rain outside, and we’re tempted to not put in the effort. Some days the road feels extra long and the hills feel steeper than usual. Sometimes we question whether what we’re doing matters. 

Keeping Christ as our goal gives purpose to our living. The Scriptures and our prayer life make up our ‘training plan,’ so how much time we spend with our Lord matters. Being part of a community matters, even if it’s a small group, for we encourage each other to ‘keep running’ when challenges arise, and we celebrate together the joys of following the path to Christ. What else matters? It matters whether or not we resist the temptation to cheat ‘just this once.’ It matters how we treat others – those closest to us as well as those who look, believe, and vote differently from how we do. It matters how often we receive the sacraments. 

Every day we reflect and ask ourselves, ‘Am I running toward Christ or away from Him? Have my choices brought His peace to myself and others today?’ Christ knows the potential in each of us to bring His peace to our world. He is our goal. May we always run toward Him.

“I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.” – 2 Timothy 4:7

“Lord, keep me strong in my race towards You.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

You can also find my posts on Facebook!

P.S.

Pray for peace at home, in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

 

Loving Holiday Greetings

Happy St. Nicholas Day! Did you know December 6 is a holiday?

Saint Nicholas is how Santa Claus got started. Nicholas (c. 270-343) was orphaned at a young age. Taking Jesus’ words to “sell what you have and give to the poor” to heart, he used his entire inheritance to help the needy. In some European countries, St. Nicholas Day is the day kids get excited about; it’s when their gifts arrive. Christmas is a holy day. So, if someone wishes you a Happy St. Nicholas Day, whether you celebrate it or not, feel free to cheerfully return the greeting!

Years ago, I worked with a woman who I thought might be Jewish because of her name and facial features. When writing out Christmas cards, I found a cute one with snowmen on it (I love snowmen!) and wrote ‘Happy Holidays’ in my greeting. A short time after that she told me they were Christians. I expressed my surprise and told her why I didn’t write ‘Merry Christmas’ in the card. We both laughed and no offense was taken. Hanukkah begins at sundown on Thursday, December 7 – so if someone wishes you a Happy Hanukkah, whether you celebrate it or not, feel free to cheerfully return the greeting!

In October while walking down our street I saw a large family gathered on their front lawn to take pictures, dressed in vibrant colors with turbans and scarfs on their heads and the red ‘bindi’ dot on their foreheads. I asked if they wanted me to take a group picture for them. One gentleman happily handed me his phone. I took a few pictures of their smiling faces and then asked him what the occasion was. He said it was a Hindu holiday where they ask for blessings upon their family. I smiled and said, ‘Have a nice holiday!’ He thanked me and I continued walking. A few blocks down another family was doing the same thing, so again I offered to take their picture. They kept saying, “Thank you!” As I handed the phone back I said, “Have a nice holiday!” and reflexively one of them answered, “You, too!” We all laughed, and then I continued on my walk, happy and grateful for those chance encounters.

Christ was born to show us that God loves all people. For many, Christian or not, Christmas is a special holiday to celebrate with family and friends and express their love with gifts. If you want the world to know about Christ and the true meaning behind Christmas, start by loving all people. Listen to them; find out what’s important to them. Show them through your actions that they’re worthy of your time. Wish them ‘Merry Christmas’ if you celebrate it. If you’re doubtful they celebrate it, wish them ‘Happy Holidays.’ Above all, greet them – and treat them – with love. 

“Here I am, Lord. I come to do Your will.” – Psalm 40:8,9

“Lord, may my actions show Your love to everyone.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2023 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

You can also find my posts on Facebook!

P.S.

Pray for peace around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo credit: Free-images.com

Whether you’re at home, traveling, or working this Thanksgiving Day, I hope you experience many moments that put a smile in your heart. As you celebrate the holiday, may you feel contentment and gratitude for all of God’s creation and those priceless gifts we call family and friends. If you’re grieving or struggling, if ‘celebrate’ is the last thing you feel like doing, may you sense our Lord speaking His love to irreplaceable you through people who wrap you in their love and appreciation today and in the days ahead. 

This Thanksgiving Day, may you notice many things to be grateful for:

Thankful that you can stay in the comfort of your own home, or thankful for the time and means to travel.

Thankful for work to do, and thankful for the people who will benefit from your work.

Thankful for good health, or thankful for those who care for you while you recuperate.

Thankful for struggles that have brought out an inner strength you didn’t know you had, and thankful for the individuals who helped you get through those trying times.

Thankful for all the people our Lord has blessed you with.

Above all, thankful for God’s unconditional and ever-present love. God is Love; whether you’re aware of it or not, this Love is always with you to guide you, strengthen you, give you hope, and bring you joy.

May you have a spirit of gratitude that is deeper and richer than a mental ‘attitude of gratitude.’

I’m thankful for all of you who read my reflections, pass them on to others, or give me feedback on what I’ve written. God gets all the credit: I thank Him for giving me the ideas and the words to write. If something I’ve written touches your heart, it makes me happy to know that I’ve conveyed the message clearly.

May this special day of giving thanks remind us all of God’s goodness and fill us with joy. Happy Thanksgiving!

“In all circumstances, give thanks…”  – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“Thank You, Lord, for the countless blessings You have given to me.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2023 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

You can also find my posts on Facebook!

P.S.

Pray for peace around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.

Celebrate and Give Thanks

The joy of June is upon us! 

It’s time for graduations, weddings, and summertime getaways. These momentous events let us celebrate hard-earned accomplishments, look with excitement to the future, and refresh our minds and bodies with relaxation and new adventures. Our degrees, our jobs, finding the love of our life, and the privilege of taking a vacation are sources of great pride and joy.  

When we have reason to celebrate, there are people we want to thank. Graduates, the bride and groom, and most young people who reach a milestone thank their parents for the countless ways they’ve supported them. Any time we celebrate reaching a goal or achieving something that’s important to us, we acknowledge the many people who helped us get to where we are.

While we’re celebrating, let’s remember to thank the Lord, too. All of our accomplishments were and are made possible by the power given to us from God our Creator. Thank Him for blessing us with our physical and mental abilities to explore, learn, and create. Thank Him for creating the people we love and all those who are celebrating with us. Thank Him for creating the world we travel around, with all its diversity. Thank Him for creating the people we meet, with their varied cultures that we learn from. 

While we’re taking our vacations, whether it’s a day trip or a far-off destination, let’s thank God for the gifts of nature, too. Let’s not only marvel at the tiny wildflowers and massive rock formations on the hiking trail but also thank God for creating them. Thank Him for the shady trees that bring relief from the heat, and the expansive vistas that take our breath away. Thank Him for creating the produce we buy at the farmer’s markets, and for the farmers who labored so we can enjoy it. Thank Him for creating the sandy beaches and the refreshing waters we swim in.  Thank Him for the gift of time to share with our friends and family.

Thank Him for everything that lets us celebrate and create happy memories with those we love. 

“So now consider what He has done for you, and praise Him with full voice.” – Tobit 13:6

“Thank You, Lord, for all you have given us!”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2023 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

p.s.

We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/...

Love Won

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.” – Psalm 118:24

Have you ever watched small children at an Easter egg hunt? When the littlest ones find an egg, they snatch it up and run over to their mom or dad to show off their treasure. They don’t look for more, at least not right away. They don’t complain that it’s the wrong color. They simply celebrate that they found one. 

We could take a lesson from those little children during this Easter season. Let’s celebrate the reality of Easter: Love won. Jesus is risen from the dead; His resurrection gives us hope for our own resurrection. Instead of dwelling on what ‘more’ we’re wanting, or fixating on what’s ‘wrong’ with our life, let’s recall that there’s more to life than our daily grind and difficulties. Christ promises us that there’s a place reserved for us in heaven, to live with him in complete joy, peace, and love. 

And if that weren’t enough, while we’re living our lives here on Earth we’re given a new day, each day, to start again, to let His Spirit live in us and inspire our every action with His love. We don’t have to wait till we die to see Him; we can look for Him in the people and world around us. We can pay attention to His prompting us through our ‘gut feelings’ to reach out from ourselves to serve others. This is how we experience heaven now: we bring a bit of heaven to Earth.

No matter what else is part of our reality, no matter how difficult life may be for us now, no matter what pain we’re suffering, and even no matter how frightening the diagnosis or the news is – all of this is temporary. If we believe that Love is more powerful than even death, then we can also believe that Love is more powerful than financial strains, relationship issues, illness, and all other hardships. 

Not even death gets the last word. Let’s celebrate the reality that Jesus is alive; He is with us to love, inspire, and guide us; and He is saving a place for us to live with Him for all eternity. 

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” –Romans 8:11

“Lord, open the eyes of my heart to comprehend the reality of Your resurrection and the hope it means for me.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2023 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

p.s.

We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/...

The Countryside Sings!

 

 “The valleys are decked with grain. They shout for joy, yes, they sing.” –Psalm 65:13

In these days of late summer, in field after field, sweet corn stands proudly next to the highway as we drive west from Northeast Ohio. Soybeans and other crops expand across the landscape, ready and waiting to be harvested. The fields seem to sing for joy! Roadside stands abound with tomatoes, squash, peppers and other vegetables that were ripening in the sunshine just hours earlier. At least one has a sign that reads, “Free vegetables! Take what you need and pay it forward.” Who knew there could be so many varieties of tomatoes? This is a season for celebrating.     

“God also said: See, I give you every seed-bearing plant on all the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food… God looked at everything He had made, and found it very good.” –Genesis 1:29, 31

We thank God for providing all of this food for us. We’re grateful for it, and for the farmers and gardeners who do the work so that we can enjoy it. Our food nourishes our bodies; it also refreshes our souls and brings joy to our spirits. (Bite into an ear of roasted sweet corn and just try not to smile!) Everything God created, He created out of His love for us. We appreciate and celebrate not only the food, but also how He ordered the world to care for us and all creatures. The old hymn, “I Sing the Mighty Power of God,” written in 1715 by Isaac Waats, expresses this eloquently:

I sing the mighty power of God that made the mountains rise,

That spread the flowing seas abroad and built the lofty skies.

I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day.

The moon shines full at his command, and all the stars obey.

 

I sing the goodness of the Lord that filled the earth with food.

He formed the creatures with his word, and then pronounced them good.

Lord, how your wonders are displayed where’er I turn my eye:

If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky!

 

There’s not a plant or flower below but makes your glories known,

And clouds arise, and tempests blow, by order from your throne;

While all that borrows life from you is ever in your care,

And everywhere that we can be,

You, God, are present there.

 Look all around you and marvel at the wonders of God’s creation. As you drive through towns large and small, gaze at the countryside bursting in song. Take your time, and stop at farmers’ markets and roadside stands. Join in the celebration of this late summer season and let your heart sing along!

 “Thank You, Lord, for all Your bounteous gifts of the earth!”

 

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina Bedell    

If you would like to receive these reflections directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

Comments are always welcome! Feel free to share it with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Thanks!

 p.s.

We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/...

 

Remove the Distractions

 

Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of auto accidents. We’re reminded often to put down our phones and anything else that may distract us, and keep our eyes fixed on the road ahead.

In a similar way, Lent is a time when we remove whatever distracts us from God. Not just Ash Wednesday, but every day gives us a wonderful, new opportunity to fix our eyes on Him, draw closer to Him, and learn how we can become more like Him.

The three practices of Lent are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Through prayer, we open our hearts to God, deepen our relationship with Him, and let Him shower us with more of His love. The discipline of fasting rids us of our self-centeredness and strengthens us against temptation – distractions -- so we can become the people God loving created us to be. Through almsgiving, we soften our hearts and share what we have, both materially and spiritually, with our brothers and sisters.

 “Let us throw off everything that weighs us down and the sins that so easily distract us.” –Hebrews 12:1

What do we mean by distractions? Your phone and computer might be good examples. These devices can be used for much good; they can also pull us away from God and His loving will for us, and from others. This would be true if you find yourself using your electronics to ‘kill time,’ to access anything evil, or to avoid interacting with your family. Lent is a good time to examine if we need to change how, when, where, and how much we use them.

Each day of Lent is a good time to pay attention to how we spend our time and how we spend our money. We make more time for prayer, and we look for ways to share what we have with others. We make an effort to change our attitudes, habits, or any other practices we’ve adopted that get in the way of our relationship with Him or with the people around us.

God wants us to come close to Him. This is something to celebrate! He wants us to get rid of these distractions. When we do so, we’re set free from the stranglehold they have on us, and our hearts feel light.

This Ash Wednesday, and every day of Lent, let’s press on with a clear and single-minded purpose to follow God more closely so as to become more like Him.

“Lord, show me how to draw closer to You.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. Comments are always welcome! Feel free to share it with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Thanks!

 

 

 

 

Celebrating Thanksgiving

 Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

This Thanksgiving, may you celebrate the wondrous blessings of a home, a meal, and those priceless gifts we call family and friends. If you’re struggling, if ‘celebrate’ is the last thing you feel like doing, may the people around you wrap you in their love and appreciation. May all of you give thanks for the irreplaceable gift of YOU!

May you hold in the depths of your soul a Spirit of Gratitude for God’s immense love and grace. May this spirit of gratitude be a sentiment that is deeper, richer, and more joyful than a mental ‘attitude of gratitude.’ May you be graced with peace as you recall reasons to celebrate and blessings to be thankful for: friendship and kinship, food from God’s loving creation, and time to savor all of it.

May this special Day of Giving Thanks remind you of God’s goodness and fill you with joy!

 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” –Psalm 150:6

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.” –Psalm 136:1

 

 If you like reading my reflections, please share them with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Also, feel free to leave a comment. Thanks!