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One day we went to a Civil War Re-enactment. It was a fascinating experience. In the process we talked to a young man who
took part in the battle of Gettysburg.
Part of the experience was
imitating the 34 mile walk from Manchester to Gettysburg. He may have been
doing it in the latter part of the 20th century but it was nevertheless like
the original in many ways.
It was hot and his feet were
bloodied and many never finished the march. But the young man shared what he
had learned from the march.
It is sometimes harder
to march than it is to fight. The test of endurance is the long march. You have
set out on a long march. You will meet many others who have gone part of the
way and turned back. You will have by your side many others who are ready to
quit and go back with you, if you will go with them. But always there are some
who are going steadily forward and who have no idea of anything but enduring
unto the end. "He that endureth to the end shall be saved." (Matt.
10:22.)
While it is
good to have goals and speak of charging ahead to victory and overcoming a
dozen odds to end up a mile ahead of any competition....sometimes just the
strength of sustained endurance is a mark of courage, both physical and
spiritual.
In short, give credit to those who just hang in
there. With a weak smile but
nevertheless a smile...with subdued complaint...steadfast, prayerful, quietly
enduring pains we, if we have never had it...cannot really understand.
The victory
of staying even is what I am talking about...and it is no little victory. It is certainly better than giving in to
"sink" on the way to "sunk."
It isn't easy if you or a loved one has been sick of mind
or body or yes as we call it "sick of heart" to keep one's equilibrium. It's wearying and fatigue itself makes
cowards of us all as Vince Lombardi used to say.
"Endurance is running even when you don't have
legs." I don't know where the quote came from but it is a bright and
shining light of learning. A rainbow
with muscles. A God sent truth to all
who will embrace it in their hearts, their minds, their souls.
So what to do to stay on an even
keel? Much of the same things some
people do to rise above the frey. It all
adds up to being the best we can and not feel we are in competition with
someone who seems to have raised up to magnificent heights.
What to do in
the battle to keep from sinking lower?
Sometimes
just getting some rest is a good beginning.
It is possible to push too much just as much as it is possible to push
too little.
This is hard for me to say for I am a "push
harder" but I have reached the point in my life where backing off a bit,
for a bit, really has proved beneficial.
And in
rebuilding, for just staying even is still a goal worthy to be achieved... it isn't
always necessary to almost immediately climb back up to the top of a mountain after
falling off a cliff...be patient...keep climbing...even if it is slower than
you like...keep climbing...but be patient.
Keep a clock record.
It will let you know when you have stopped resting from being weary and
have started resting from rest.
"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the
weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but
those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and
not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."(Is. 40:29-31)
So spoke the above...that
grand old prophet of endurance.
Wellington
used to speak of what he called "three o'clock in the morning"
courage. What a man thinks, does, determines, when things are at their worst,
makes or mars his future. Bitter disappointment, broken trust, the fading of
cherished hopes, a sickness or problem that will not go away.
And some
endure and face the dawn rather than run from the darkness. And therein lies
the strength or weakness of a stretched or shrunken soul.
"Wait on
the Lord" Trust in His
presence. Have hope in His eternal
will. Measure your longings against his
wisdom. I cannot name the times I have
been frustrated by that proverbial door being closed only to have a broader
taller door open up as the blessing of heaven flowed through.
Renewal. That is
what life is all about. A rising from
the ashes. A victory snatched from the
jaws of defeat. A weakness turned into a
strength.
And sometimes a prayer such as the
following.
"Dear
Lord, I stumble as I step. I fall and
have trouble rising to my knees let alone standing once again alone but
unafraid. But I persevere and pray that
you will walk with me and comfort me in my keeping on keeping on."
I have prayed
a prayer like this...oh yes...I have prayed it more than once.
Do not be ashamed to be
exhausted. You are human. Do not be ashamed when you fail. It is the price we pay for being alive. Be ashamed only when you give up instead of
pray up.
I have a glider rating and besides being an upbeat joy it
taught me a spiritual lesson as well.
Outside of Elmira, New York where I got my glider rating there is a
range of mountains with continuous updrafts and when you fly over those
updrafts and attatch yourself to them you can motor less fly forever.
So it is when you pray for and
find the uplifiting power of the Holy Spirit.
Find them and you can fly forever, even up to and including the day of
your death.
Hang in there.
Sometimes you have to wait awhile but hang in there.
In Florida,
those updrafts I talked about in New York don't exist. We have no mountains and some updrafts are so
small in width you can fly right through them and hardly notice.
They still
work but it takes more effort.
So it is with
life. Sometimes there are spiritual updrafts
that are large and some that are not. I
do not question why. I just know that
either way they exist and I continue to pray to find them...and find them I
do...
I do not know you but I am cheering you on. I am praying for you as I pray for every soul
who has been beaten down once or more in this great wonderful adventure called
life. I pray for the both of us for
prayer is our great wide super highway to the gates of heaven. I pray for our
patience when healing is slow or not at all.
I pray for our patience to endure whatever it is that is trying to beat
our endurance down or break it into a million pieces. I pray for us because it is what our God
wants us to do...keep the line open...
In college I
was a runner. I passed people and I was
passed by people. And I learned lessons
from both sides of the experience. Sometimes
when i finished a race my greatest victory was in finishing.
So has it been with my life. Some of my greatest victories have been from
hanging in there, like Paul with finishing the race.
+++++++++++++
If you want to enjoy the rainbow, be prepared to endure
the storm. (anonymous)
"If you
voluntarily quit in the face of adversity, you'll wonder about it for the rest
of your life." (former President
Clinton)
“A happy life
consists not in the absence, but in the mastery of hardships.” (Helen Keller)
"I've
learnt in life that you will never soar like an eagle if you insist on
surrounding yourself with chickens" (Marlo Cortes)
Diamonds are nothing more than chunks of
coal that stuck to their jobs. (Malcom Stevenson Forbes)
But let patience have perfect work, that ye
may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (James
1:4)
+++
ANOTHER
WAY TO SHARE THESE ONE A DAYS WITH FREIENDS...CLICK ON MORE AT TOP LEFT OF THIS
BLOG PAGE AND FROM THERE IT SHOULD BE
EASY
CHURCH BOOK CLUBS ARE
USING REV. WYRICK'S 9TH BOOK "The Spiritual Abraham Lincoln."
If you would like to purchase it at a special price...
It is available on amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and many other book sites.
It is available on amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and many other book sites.
A new quote below from
Rev. Wyrick's 9th book THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN (read the rave reviews below the quote)
Many
were quite willing to see him permanently gone, not just to Washington but from this earth.
Hate
letters assailed on a regular basis.
Finally
a plot to assassinate him in Baltimore was
uncovered, and by repeatedly reminding him, “You can hardly be a good President
if you are a dead President,” his friends were able to convince him to secretly
depart Harrisburg.
Accompanied
by Alan Pinkerton and W. H. Laman in one lone car pulled by a single
locomotive, no lights and telegraph lines cut, he came through Baltimore at 3:30 A.M. dressed in
disguise.
Many
other lonely middle-of-the-night times lay ahead.
"Positive,
powerful utterances...skillfully enhancing our understanding and appreciation
of Lincoln while revealing the Divine source of his strength."
Lt.
Colonel C.A. Olsen (Ret.) Asbury College (Professor Ret.)
"The Spiritual Abraham Lincoln is
an extremely well written book that investigates what might be
termed the spiritual side of President Lincoln. It's both scholarly and very
readable. I came away impressed at Mr. Wyrick's portrayal of the President and
with an altered and enlarged vision of the man:'
William Hoffman, Award winning fiction writer; author of Blood and Guile, and
Wild Thorn
"Wyrick has authored a wonderful
examination of the spirituality of one of American history's most devoutly
religious leaders...a pleasant and readable book that has a rich depth of
information."
Maynard Pittendreigh Presbyterian
minister
"When it comes to invoking religion in
support of any of their decisions, politicians need to sit at the feet of
Abraham Lincoln. Reinhold Niebuhr once called him 'America's greatest
theologian.' Why so great? Because he invariably distinguished between human
works and the works of the Almighty. As Wyrick says, 'He wore
the mantle of humility easily: because he was more impressed with what God was
doing in the world than with what he, president of the United States in the
midst of an awful crisis, was doing. That is why in his last major speech he
distinguished between both human causes in the Civil War and the Almighty's
'own purposes.' Lincoln would have agreed that it is better to leave God-talk
out of politics than to decorate human proposals with divinity. This is a book
for our American time. Through his careful study of Lincoln's career, Wyrick
compels us to remember that piety belongs in politics only when piety
transcends politics."
Dr.
Donald W. Shriver
Emeritus professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York.
Author of An Ethic for Enemies: Forgiveness in Politics
"V. Neil Wyrick's fine work allows the reader to appreciate Abraham
Lincoln's Christian commitment and his prophetic role in American history.
Should have a wide readership."
James
H. Smylie Professor
of Church History (Ret.) Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia
"Neil
Wyrick's The Spiritual Abraham Lincoln should be read by anyone attempting to understand the man who was probably
the most complex person to ever hold the office of president of the United
States. Dr. Wyrick is intent on demonstrating that the spirituality so often
expressed in Lincoln's writings and speeches was not merely lip service to a
Deity, but rather expressions of a profound faith in a real God. It was this
faith that provided the wisdom, compassion, insight and sometimes steel that
Lincoln would need in full measure as he led the United States through
the Civil War. Dr. Wyrick's clear and unpretentious style of presentation is
very much in keeping with the character ofhis subject, and in so doing, Wyrick
makes his point very well that Lincoln, his beliefs, and the faith that formed
them, are as relevant to a troubled America in 2004 as they were in 1863."
Daniel Allen Butler, author
of "Unsinkable"; The Full Story of the RMS Titanic, The
Lusitania and The Age o f Cunard
QUOTE BELOW IS FROM WYRICK'S
WRITINGS
There
is no other organization in the world like the church. It is a breed unto itself. It is a congregation of sinners, not a
country club for saints. To become a
member you have to profess your unworthiness.
CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING TO TAKE YOU THERE
(These are selected sermons from over 50 years of ministry and as a worldwide evangelist Rev. Wyrick preached them all the United States and all over the
world)
+++++++++++++++++++
CLICK ON www.go60.us
IT WILL TAKE YOU A NEW WEBSITE FOR SENIORS....click on
"Voice" on the home page and then on the list of authors click
on Neil Wyrick
Recent articles Rev. Wyrick has
written for this web site are: REFLECTIONS
·
Here Comes Summer (July 2012)
·
Spring (May 2012)
·
Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow
(April 2012)
·
Wayward and Windy (April 2012)
Just
remember that “the pain of discipline will cost you pennies, whereas the pain
of regret will cost you millions.”
++++++++++++++++++
How can we keep our faith from being a weak and fruitless thing? How can we not be foolish little men and women groveling in the dark shadows of overeager egos.
Well, first we must do more than just pray. We must believe in our own prayers.
+++++++++++++++++++
Anxiety
out of proportion makes us become like a centipede trying to put his best foot
forward.
++++++++++++++++++
It's
an old joke, I went to the doctor and I said, “Doc, when I do this, it hurts.”
And the doctor said, “Then don't do that.”
++++++++++++++++++
How many things have you been anxious
about that were things which you knew before you got into them were probably
going to create some problems for you?
And if you asked your doctor, or your minister, or common sense and your
God, all of them would have said, “Don’t do that.”
++++++++++++++++++++
To buy into the
community of accountability we have to realize that like bikers we are divided
into two categories. Those who have fallen and those who will fall for anything. None of us are perfect.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Think
on it this way, some philosopher of old wrote it and it endures because there
is so much truth in it… every right
implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a
duty
++++++++++++++++++++++
Some
of the sermon titles posted recently
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Before you decide
to purchase or not purchase his book THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN.... view his Award Winning One Man
Dramatization of Lincoln (since he wrote the script
for this drama it will give you an insight into what you will find in the book
itself)
Available on
Amazon.com in printed form and on Amazon Kindle Books. and at
many other sites
TO VIEW THE LINCOLN
One Man DRAMA and 3 other dramas; Ben Franklin, Martin Luther & Charles
Wesley
click on the
following URL
http://www.speakerneil.com/
++++++++++++++++++++++
BELOW
ARE MORE QUOTES FROM NEIL'S RECENTLY POSTED SERMONS
++++++++++++++++++
A QUOTE FROM THOUGHTS POSTED ON MY
OTHER BLOG WYRICK'S WRITINGS ENTITLED
Two stores faced each other across a very
busy street. Their owners were in constant competition
with each other. One day, the owner of
one store put out a sign that read – If
you want it, we have it!
Almost immediately the other owner put out a
sign –If we don’t have it, you don’t
need it!
A QUOTE FROM THOUGHTS POSTED ON MY
OTHER BLOG WYRICK'S WRITINGS ENTITLED
WHO ARE
YOU?
NO…WHOSE ARE YOU?
Who are you? Whose are
you?
You influence and are influenced
according to the answer you give.
Are you are the flavor of the month because
you are determined to be like everyone else no matter what? If so, consider being more independent in our
thinking and actions...because God wants you to grow up.
It may be easier being someone's shadow but
wouldn't you really rather be a sun.
QUOTE FROM THOUGHTS POSTED ON WYRICK'S WRITINGS ENTITLED "Who
Are You? Whose Are You?"
This is an old quote, and a romantic one
as well but, nevertheless, can anyone say of you, “I love you not because of who you are,
but because of who I am when I am with you.”
QUOTE FROM THOUGHT PIECE POSTED
ON WYRICK'S WRITINGS ENTITLED
" WHEN A NATION STRAYS TOO FAR FROM BEING MORAL IT IS WELL ON IT'S WAY
TO BECOMING A MESS
James 4:17
To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn’t do it,
to him it is sin.
Someone once said: “A
belief is what you hold, a conviction is what holds you!”
So what holds you,
constructs you, leads you with a push when needed?
Quotes
POSTED ON WYRICK'S WRITING ENTITLED WHO
ARE YOU?
NO…WHOSE ARE YOU?
In a Peanuts
cartoon strip Peppermint Patty is shown talking to Charlie Brown.
“Guess what, Chuck? It’s the first day
of school and I got sent to the principal’s office.
And it’s your fault!”
Charlie Brown responds, “My fault? How
could it be my fault? Why do you say everything is my fault?”
To which she declares, “You’re my
friend, aren’t you, Chuck? You should have been a better influence on me.”
In the comics, it’s funny… but in real life it’s much more
complicated.
Would you like to read the entire thought
piece? Then... TO TAKE YOU TO THE WYRICK'S WRITING'S
SITE
click on
the following
Yes, God loves you the way you
are but he loves you too much to let you stay that way.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Click on the URL below to WATCH NEIL IN
HIS WORLD FAMOUS ONE MAN DRAMATIZATIONS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, BEN FRANKLIN,
CHARLES WESLEY AND MARTIN LUTHER
To
Order and Read
Neil's 9th book THE
SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN
GO TO amazon.com
QUOTES ABOUT THIS WONDERFUL INSPIRING INFORMATIVE book
STILL RECEIVING RAVE REVIEWS 8 YEARS AFTER IT'S PUBLICATION.
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