For 17 days, our TVs were tuned to the XXI Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada. The Games took us on an emotional roller coaster from beginning to end -- from the elaborate Opening Ceremony with the unfortunate technical glitch to the comical parody of the blunder at the Closing Ceremony. From the tragic death of Georgian Luger Nodar Kumaritashvili to the emotionally-charged gold medal Hockey game finish in overtime. From the sudden death of the mother of figure skater Joannie Rochette to her triumphant, poignant bronze-medal finish. I’m not sure there has been an Olympics as exuberant and heartfelt as this one.

And we loved every bit of it. We are a people of intensity…of competition…of passion. It’s in our nature.

Olympics date back to ancient Greece when they enjoyed two great athletic competitions: the Olympic Games and the Isthmian Games (held on the Isthmus of Corinth.) This is why Paul, when talking to the Corinthians, compared living the Christian life to running to win:


As Paul talked, they “got it.” They also could relate to the BIG MOMENT the athletes faced as they awaited the results of the judge. They stood before the bema, which is Greek for “judgment seat.” It was the podium where judges sat to determine the winners and hand out the awards. So Paul continued…


Paul says that the Christian life is an Olympic event. One day each of us will stand before God’s “bema.” This is not the judgment seat which determines whether we’re going to heaven; that was a done deal when we placed our trust in Christ. This judgment seat (maybe more of an awards stand in today’s English) is for believers only. It will be when we’ll stand before Christ to give an account of how we lived our lives…the ways we served Christ. Then what? Christ will hand out our rewards…but these will last forever!

Humor

Excerpts from tests of Fifth and Sixth graders:

---The law of gravity says no fair jumping up without coming back down.
---A census taker is a man who goes from house to house increasing the population.
---The spinal column is a long bunch of bones. The head sits on the top, and you sit on the bottom.
---You can listen to thunder and tell how close you came to getting hit. If you don’t hear it, you got hit, so never mind.
---Someday, we may discover how to make magnets that can point in any direction.
---There is a tremendous weight pushing down on the center of the Earth because so many people are stomping around up there these days.
---Vacuums are nothings. We only mention them to let them know we know they’re there.
---The cause of perfume disappearing is evaporation. Evaporation gets blamed for losing a lot of things people forget to put the top on.
---I’m not sure how clouds are formed, but clouds know how to do it, and that’s the important thing.
---Water vapor gets together in a cloud. When it is big enough to be called a drop, it does.

Praise and Prayer

A praise! A pastor in India issues his deeply felt gratitude to those of you where were praying for his Jesus Gospel Ministry. They conducted “Medical Camp” at Rustumbada village and were able to minister to many people in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you for your faithfulness.

Please continue to pray for, Sophia, a junior at Georgetown University. It has been 4 months since she became tragically sick. She now resides in a rehab setting. Sophia’s progress has halted, expenses for her care are building, and her family is becoming weary and drained. As she is essentially non-communicative, her parents are planning for her long-term care. Her brother, a high school senior, is really struggling. Please pray for Sophia and her family—for her recovery according to His will, and for God’s grace to be felt in a powerful way, giving her family the strength to handle what lies ahead.

May we pray for you? Please tell us HERE.

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Closing Thoughts

Train hard. Run to win. It takes self-discipline, single-minded focus, and perseverance. It’s all or nothing. There’s no middle ground. And one day you and I will stand before the “bema,” the judgment seat of God…and He will smile…

How is your Olympic training going? Are you going for the gold?

Relying on Him,
Ms. Kim
www.walkontheedge.org

Join us in the Forums: Which moment of the XXI Winter Olympics was your favorite?

It seemed a fun idea at the time! It was late one afternoon in January. My husband and I decided to take a short walk through the woods behind our house. We bundled up, gathered our five small dogs, and headed out. The woods are…well…just that—woods…rugged—trees—vines—creeks—ravines—scrub—wildlife. We maneuvered our way straight back—ducking, dodging, climbing. After 15 or 20 minutes, we headed back, or so we thought. It wasn’t long, however, before we realized that nothing looked familiar. We encountered a very steep ravine at the base of which sat a creek. Hmmm…. Hadn’t seen that before. We traversed it with difficulty (including pulling one of our dogs out of the thick, muddy edge) and continued on. It was increasingly difficult to make our way, as the brush had become quite dense. With a sharp pain, my ankle twisted as I stepped into a hole which was carefully camouflaged in leaves. We stopped many times to try to find our way out of this mess, but to no avail. It was getting cold and dark and the dogs made it clear it was well past their dinnertime!

We’ve walked into these woods many times and have always been able to find our way out. But this time we were as perplexed as we’ve ever been. How did we get so lost? We finally made it to a clearing and recognized where we were—a long way from home! We were close to a highway, but it would be impossible to walk home along the highway, about 5 miles, with unleashed dogs. The sun was setting quickly The sun…the sun! That was the answer. The sun could help us chart our way home. Why didn’t we think of this before?

Off we went…back into the woods, but this time we weren’t walking blind. It wasn’t an easy walk back, but now we had hope! The sun had already set when we exited the woods at a landmark we recognized closer to home. We then walked a mile along the street, carrying the dogs.

As we turned into the driveway—tired, cold, muddy, hungry, relieved—we looked up toward home. We had left the light on.

What are your “woods?”
The place you’ve been to several times—just to explore a bit…
The place that offers excitement and diversion, but isn’t totally safe…
The place where each time you go, you walk in a little bit deeper…
The place where sometimes you get in so deep that you almost feel like you can’t get out…like it may engulf you…

Every person’s woods may be different, but all woods have some things in common: thick underbrush… carefully concealed pits…vines that entangle…thistles that poke… steep ravines that threaten…wildlife that harms. A walk in the woods seems innocent at first, but the deeper you get, the more threatening it becomes. And then it starts to get dark. What do your woods look like?

Is it the woods of drinking that starts out fun and innocent with an occasional beer or drink at a party or ball game?

Is it the woods of gambling that starts out with petty bets between friends or online poker?

Is it the woods of pornography that starts out with Playboy magazines, x-rated movies, or racy internet sites?

Is it the woods of drugs that starts out with pot or methamphetamines?

Is it the woods of sex that starts out with innocent flirting, sexting, provocative clothing?

Whatever woods you’ve stumbled into, remember that there will be a point when you’ll realize you’re in too deep. Nothing will look familiar. You may stumble down a steep ravine or fall into a discreetly camouflaged hole. You may not know how to get out. Your world may become dark and cold. It will be frightening.

Is the darkness closing in? Stop and look up…up to the Son, who is always there waiting for you to enlist His help. He has been there all along. Follow the Son…the giver of hope. He will open your eyes and show you the way home. It may not be an easy walk back, but He will give you the strength you need to make it. And as you reach the clearing, you will see—he has left the Light on.

Scripture to inspire you:

Closing Thoughts

If you’re thinking about taking a stroll through the woods, get your mind on other things.
If you’re walking in the woods, get out.
If you’re lost, get help.
If you have a friend who is playing in the woods, get him help.

Don’t just wander through life, experimenting with this or that, but be intentional about where you’re going. Don’t become trapped in the tangles of the world. Instead, keep your thoughts on God and the eternal—His plans for your life—His direction.

If you don’t know where you’re going, any path will take you there….and it may not be where you want to be.

Trusting Him,
Ms. Kim
www.walkontheedge.org