A few years before the pandemic, I took a trip to London.  When I arrived at Heathrow Airport, I noticed a peculiar warning sign over the moving walk way that caught my attention.  It simply said, "Face direction of travel."

Immediately I considered the wisdom in its message.  Like a moving walking way, life is always progressing forward. For you and me, to get to where we are want to go, we have to face the direction of travel.  If we don't, we might not see what's coming.  We might bump into something unexpected, or we might miss something critical and life changing.  We might get derailed.

Derailed Alignment

To put this into context, let me share a story.  Years ago I was skiing in West Virginia as a chaperone on a youth group trip.  In the middle of the day I was on a green slope, traveling as fast as I could.  Now, I've skied most of my life.  Green runs to me are not a challenge, and this had been no...

I need to make a confession. I am a recovering reluctant leader, and I'm doing everything I can to avoid a relapse. 

The problem started way back when. Probably when I was just old enough to notice classmates (maybe even my older brother and sister) discrediting my unique ideas or thoughts. You know, an idea that disrupted the norm. Like,  "What if we built a maze fort out of these cardboard boxes?” Or, “Want to help me build a wall of Legos to blockade mom and dad's room while they're sleeping?”

"No!"  My brother and sister didn’t like either one of those ideas from their little brother. Sometimes I struggled with my voice being heard. Being the youngest, you often feel overlooked and ignored. It's frustrating. I remember when I was six knowing exactly what to do to put the family door knocker on the door, but no one wanted to hear my suggestion.  I felt unheard and insignificant.

Eventually many of my imaginative...

Hope actually is a strategy.

• "There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off." - Prov 23:18
• "Know the hope to which He has called you..." - Ephesians 1:18
• "Hope does not put us to shame." - Romans 5:5
• "Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very BOLD." - 2 Cor 3:12
• "Let us hold unswervingly to the HOPE we profess, for He who promised is faithful." - Hebrews 10:23
• "Be Joyful in Hope. Patient in Affliction. Faithful in Prayer" - Romans 12:12
• "What matters in life? What will last? Faith, Hope, and Love." - 1 Cor 3:13

The proof of our HOPE is in the actions we take!

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith;
Be courageous; Be strong.

– 1 Corinthians 16:13

Life throws at us a lot of curve balls.  A single day can be overwhelming.  Even exhausting. Yet God reminds us to stay diligent in our faith and to take courage.   He wants you to know that you are resilient.  He wants you think of yourself as a warrior, prepared for battle. You are firm in your faith.  You are courageous.  You are strong.

Take a moment to think how you have endured to this point.  What are the trials and tribulations that you have overcome?  Now think about how adversity has made you stronger. What is the growth you’ve experienced? Finally, identify one thing will you do this year to stand firm in the faith. 

My Trials and Tribulations:

My Growth:

One Thing I Will Do Today:

I love the NASA story.  The aspiration we had as a nation in the 60's and early 70's to put man on the moon is an incredible example of perseverance!  What seemed impossible at first, was made possible.  But it wasn't without some challenges.

One of the most infamous statements in the midst of a challenge, which was used as motivation to help bring the crew of Apollo 13 safely back to earth, was a directive from Gene Kranz. In a moment of crisis, he coined the phrase "Failure is not an option."

Kranz, who's back is depicted in the picture above, was the flight controller for that mission, and many others.  Almost fifty-six hours into the Apollo 13 mission, an explosion occurs on board. One of the oxygen tanks blows up, threatening their survival. This not only keeps them from landing on the moon, but jeopardizes the lives of the astronauts.  The fear is that they might not come home.

A mix of contractors and NASA personnel representing various...