Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. - Hebrews 12:1
The Olympic Games of 1968 produced many exceptional performances and world records but by far the most remarkable performance belonged to John Stephen Akhwari, the marathon runner from Tanzania.
More than an hour after the champion for his race had been crowned, Akhwari, bloodied and bandaged, limped into the practically empty stadium.
He moved slowly around the track toward the finish. He crossed the line with a weak smile and satisfied look on his face.
Why had he taken so long to finish the race? He had fallen earlier in the race and hurt himself and got left by everybody but he persisted in finishing the race.
Later journalists interviewed him and asked the question on everybody's mind, "Why didn't you quit? There was no chance for you and you could have injured yourself permanently."
In halting English, Akhwari made the statement that personifies the attitude of real winners. "My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race," he said. "My country sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race."
As Christians, we do not run for an earthly country but for the Kingdom of our God and His Christ. Our race must not only be started but it must be run with conviction till the end.
All the biblical heroes of faith ran this race to end and their stories encourage us to run till we finish the race. No matter the trial you may face, don't ever give up. Hold on to the end and you will receive the crown of life.
Prayer: Ask the Lord to strengthen you to endure to the end.
If you’re still only using apple cider vinegar in your salad dressings, you’re missing out. As odd as it might sound, the all-natural, all-purpose kitchen staple is also becoming a preferred beauty potion. As someone who can’t even cut an onion, putting something as pungent as a vinegar on my skin and hair was not easy the first time. But the trans-formative beauty benefits of ACV kept me coming back until I finally just moved the bottle from my kitchen cabinet to my medicine cabinet.
As a Face Toner
I used regular toners for a few years, but I can’t say I ever really saw a big difference. Enter ACV, and my skin is brighter and tighter. “Skin is naturally acidic but when vinegar is used as a toner, it helps skin find the ideal balance between dry and oily,” says Dr. Karen Hammerman, cosmetic dermatologist at Vanguard Dermatology in New York City. I dilute a tablespoon of ACV with a few drops of water and apply with a cotton ball three to four times a week. If you have extremely sensitive skin, try adding more water to the mixture and use less frequently.
As a Hair Rinse
Ever notice how your shampoo seems to stop working after a few weeks, leaving you to assume that you need to buy a new brand? That could be the result of product buildup. It’s easy to forget that our scalp is skin and, just like our faces, needs a good deep cleaning every once in awhile. “Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid which, when applied to your scalp, removes excess buildup left from styling products and shampoos,” says Hammerman. Twice a month, after shampooing, I pour one to two cups of the vinegar on my hair; I massage it into my scalp and let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing. Don’t worry, the smell won’t stick around—but if you’d prefer, try a clarifying shampoo like Fekkai’s Apple Cider Shampoo.
To Soothe Burns
If the thought of rubbing highly acidic vinegar on red-hot, tender skin makes you wince, you’re not alone. My face still scrunches right before I apply ACV to a sunburn, but, fear not because it doesn’t actually hurt. Amino acids in ACV “can help balance hydration in the skin and calm irritation,” says Hammerman. Massage onto sunburns or razor burns to turn down the heat. Read here
To Clean Makeup Brushes
ACV can de-gunk every tool in your application arsenal, from blush brushes to brow brushes. And the malic acid in ACV makes it antibacterial, says Hammerman—so, you’re washing out germ buildup, too. Hammerman suggests combining one cup of warm water with one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, and one or two thick slices of lemon to scent the concoction. Clean brushes with the mixture, rinse with water, and lay out to dry.
And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. - Colossians 3:15
While God speaks to us first and foremost through His Word, God also can speak to us through circumstances. Having said that, I also want to say that I don't base my decisions on circumstances alone.
We talk figuratively about doors being opened, but God is not the only one who can open doors. When Jonah disobeyed God, he bought a fare on a boat that was going in the opposite direction.
The devil opened all the doors for Jonah's disobedience. So just because things are coming together circumstantially, does not mean it is God's will.
First, what you are considering needs to be scriptural. It shouldn't violate any clear biblical principles. Then, I believe that if it is God's will, He will confirm it circumstantially. So you need to trust the Lord to direct you.
Secondly, it is important to have the peace of God in your heart. Colossians 3:15 says, "Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts."
There have been times in your life when you were about to do something but somehow you didn't have peace of God in your heart about it.
Circumstantially, everything looks great. You can't see it violating any Scriptural principles. But there is a sense that you should not do it. That may be the voice of God.
Finally, sometimes it is as simple as the timing. Just as important as the will of God is, the timing of God is crucial. Is the time right for what you want to do?
So as you seek God's will, if the request is right and the timing is right and you are right, then God will say go.
Prayer: Lord, teach me to hear Your voice and show me the path I should take.
Everybody loves punch. It’s fun, fruity and easy to drink. Best of all, where there’s punch there’s a party. I adapted this recipe from a cocktail my partner and I created back in my beverage catering days. It was always a big hit at events. Just like any well-made punch, it appeals to a variety of tastes. Unique enough to impress your guests, yet simple to prepare in advance, your friends will happily serve themselves a glass . . . or four.
Ingredients:
750 ml bottle of pisco/non alcoholic pisco
1 cup St. non alcoholic Germain elderflower liqueur
1 1/2 cups strawberry syrup
1 1/2 cups lime juice
2 750 ml bottles sparkling apple cider
2 limes for garnish
ice block
Strawberry Syrup:
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups strawberries (halved)
First you’ll want to make the strawberry syrup. To do this, first make a plain simple syrup by combining the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a simmer and then remove from heat and let cool completely (approximately 30 minutes) before adding strawberries. I like combining the strawberries once the syrup has cooled because you get a bright, fresh strawberry flavor, rather than a cooked, jammy strawberry flavor.
Once you’ve added the strawberries to the saucepan with the syrup, use a potato masher to smash them to a pulp. If you don’t have a potato masher you can use the bottom of a glass. Then, pour the resulting mixture through a fine mesh strainer, removing the strawberry pulp. What is left is your strawberry syrup.
On to the easy part. To make the punch, simply combine all the ingredients except the sparkling apple cider and ice block into a pitcher or mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate for several hours, so that the mixture is very cold. During this time, also refrigerate the bottles of sparkling apple cider.
When you are ready to serve, place the ice block into your punch bowl, remove the mixture from the fridge and pour over ice. If you have a small punch bowl, you can always keep half of your punch mixture in the fridge to refill throughout the party. Just remember to keep half of the apple cider in reserve as well.
Top with sparkling apple cider, stir, and add lime wheels for garnish. Your punch is now cold, bubbly, and ready to serve!
Happy new Month Folks, I deeply pray that the sins blocking your miracles from u shall be forgiven you. Your prayers will not become an empty words in the ears of The Lord in Jesus name. God will give u the grace to fast and pray more than ever before. You will no longer take the grace of God for granted in Jesus Name. I pray that you will not take wrong decisions that will delay answers to your prayers. You will not enter into partnership with destiny killers in Jesus name
As from today, you will never owe any debt again! You will live in the fullness of the grace of God. Happy New Month Of June, From ASB'World.
Eight weeks after giving birth to twins, Julia Sharpe slipped into spandex. It was not, however, Spanx. It was a singlet — the attire worn by male gymnasts. And Sharpe, 27, was suiting up to compete as an alumni member of MIT’s club gymnastics team.
Sharpe has been doing gymnastic since she was 2, and as an undergraduate she was the Division III women’s national all-around champion twice before MIT ended its varsity program. After that, she joined the women’s club team. But when she realized that according to NAIGC (National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs) rules, she could compete for either gender — just not both — she switched to the men’s club to help bolster their numbers and pursue a new challenge. (Speaking of new challenges, Sharpe will be competing in the Pittsburgh qualifier of American Ninja Warrior on May 22.)
Sharpe, a mechanical engineer, spoke to the Cut via email about competing as a woman in men’s gymnastics and returning to training and competition after giving birth.
You started out in women’s gymnastics and then made the switch to men’s club at MIT. When and why did you make the switch from the balance beam to the rings?I made the switch to men’s gymnastics after NAIGC Nationals in the spring of 2012. There were several reasons that I decided to switch. The MIT team only sent two male gymnasts to Nationals that year, and it seemed like the team was disappearing (like so many men’s programs these days), so I wanted to help keep it going.
I was also craving a new challenge. Women’s gymnastics at the NAIGC club level uses Level 9 rules [which are less demanding than varsity-level gymnastics rules], so my routines were very watered-down so that I could be super-clean and score well … In men’s gymnastics, I was able to go back to the basics and learn so many new things just from the other people on the team. In women’s gymnastics, I could maybe learn one new skill per year, but in men’s I was learning new skills all the time. Also, I have three older brothers, two of which did gymnastics, and I’ve always wanted to try out their events.
What was hardest part about starting out in men’s gymnastics?Physically, the hardest part was dealing with all the new overuse injuries that come with men’s gymnastics. I went through a phase in high school where I was injured all the time but then my body seemed to accept it. When I started men’s gymnastics, I had to find a new balance. Mentally, I have to admit it was hard not being the best anymore. I was extremely successful in Division III gymnastics in college and at the club level afterward, and in men’s gymnastics I was mediocre on most events, and pretty bad at others.
Is a singlet more comfortable than a leotard? Are there fewer or more wedgies?It is definitely more comfortable! Our uniforms are actually cut with shorts as part of them so wedgies are impossible.
Since you started competing for the men, what has been the reaction you’ve received? From your teammates and others?With the exception of one occasion, I have felt very accepted by everyone I’ve encountered in my time doing men’s gymnastics — from judges to teammates to athletes on other teams to parents of athletes on other teams. The men’s gymnastics community is very welcoming, which is a nice change from women’s gymnastics where I felt like we were pressured into seeing athletes from other teams as our enemies.
The one occasion where I was not welcomed was when our team competed at Springfield College in a competition that invited NCAA varsity teams, college club teams, and local USAG clubs. The Springfield administration would not let me compete because of my gender.
I have definitely seen a difference in reactions from men and women. From other women, the reaction is usually that they are super-impressed and could never do what I’m doing. I wish there was some way I could prove to them that they could if they wanted to! From men, they are also impressed but also seem to take my success as inspiration to get better themselves.
You recently gave birth to twins. Did you train at all while you were pregnant?I trained as much as I could while I was pregnant because I knew I wanted to get back into the gym soon after the babies were born. I pretty much did everything up to ten weeks. I felt pretty exhausted but I pushed through because I knew I didn’t have much time left. At 12 weeks, the doctor told me, “No shear on my uterus,” so I stopped tumbling and vaulting. At about 16 weeks, the contractions started so I was told to stop using my abs. At that point I could mostly just do small swings and handstands, but I tried to continue a strength regimen that didn’t use my abs, and I swam. At 28 weeks, I got put on bed rest for pre‐term contractions, which is pretty common with twins. At 34 weeks, when the babies were mature enough to be born if they decided it was time, I got to come off bed rest, so I did some more handstands, but mostly just walked and did yoga. At 37 weeks, I got put on bed rest again for high blood pressure, so that was the end of exercise pre‐birth.
You returned to competition just eight weeks after giving birth to twins via C‐section. Why did you decide to return to competition so soon after giving birth and compete this season? And what was it like? I wanted to be able to compete at NAIGC Nationals this year, so I figured the earlier I start competing, the better, even if I was only doing very basic skills.
When I first started, I couldn’t do backward rolls or forward rolls, which I’ve been doing since before I could remember. For the first week or so, I could barely make a front tuck on floor and I hit my butt on the vault trying to do a handspring. It was confusing because I felt like my body awareness was completely off. I was never where I thought I was; the feedback loop was broken. I definitely felt myself get stronger each week, and now that I have been back for eight weeks, I’m definitely starting to feel more like myself.
I’ve gotten to the point where I can see myself getting back to where I was in just a few months.
Do you think other women could have a future in men’s gymnastics?
Really, I feel like any woman who is willing to put in the time training can be successful at men’s gymnastics especially if they have good basics from years of women’s gymnastics. In my opinion, I think it’s surprising that in this modern age, no one has questioned the fact that there is no “men’s gymnastics” for women and “women’s gymnastics” for men. Why can’t there just be six-event gymnastics (hexagymnastics?) and four-event gymnastics (quadragymnastics?) where men and women don’t necessarily compete against each other, but are at least allowed to do the same sport.
You don’t really see this in other sports, where the men’s version is so completely different from the women’s. Women’s gymnastics evolved the way it did because people believed that women weren’t strong enough to support themselves on their hands for long periods of time like the men can. I think if you watch uneven bars these days, you can see that is definitely not true.Read here And even women who have had children like Oksana Chusovitina [who is 39 and planning to compete at her seventh Olympic Games in Rio] or myself are still capable of being incredibly strong. If I can do men’s gymnastics just eight weeks after giving birth to twins, then there are many other women out there who could do really incredible things in the sport. I really want other women to be able to see that.
Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. - Philippians 3:14
Some people say they don't want to go to church because the church is full of hypocrites. They will identify any Christian who falls short as a hypocrite.
If you do or say anything that doesn't measure up to your faith as a follower of Jesus, then you are immediately branded that way.
But just because you believe something and don't always live up to it doesn't mean you are a hypocrite.
In fact, that doesn't mean you are a hypocrite at all. What it does mean is that you are a human being. No one measures up all the time to the very high standards of God.
We all fall short of the glory of God-again and again. We are imperfect people serving a perfect God.
Even the great apostle Paul admitted this struggle: "I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it.
Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it" (Rom 7:15-17).
That wasn't Paul's everyday experience, but it was a candid admission. Nor should it be used as a justification to say we always will be struggling in this manner and therefore shouldn't even try.
Paul also wrote, "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me" (Philippians 3:12).
The further you go in the Christian life, the further you will realize you need to go. That is the mark of a genuine, growing Christian.
Prayer: Lord, help me to keep on growing in my walk with You.
