Winter Endurance

Sorry I didn't post a blog Friday as we were on the road ( the icy road) to a funeral in Missouri. Turns out we got to drive on lots of icy roads this weekend. A couple hundred miles of that stuff is plenty for me and I am now ready for spring even though winter hasn't even officially started yet. We had a fair turnout at church yesterday despite the ice and always a fovrite was the children's Christmas program last night. There is a sparkle in their eyes that really demonstrates what Jesus meant when He said of children, "of such is the kingdom of God"

I did get to preach about the "Second Wind" yesterday and thought I would share a couple of the thoughts from the sermon this morning. The goal is to finish strong. The race can get difficult physically and otherwise. The following principles work in both a physical sense and spiritual sense. See if you can pull out the spiritual application.

Break Through Principles
Pushing through the individual workout pain barrier
When it comes to individual workouts we quite often encounter pain barriers that make us want to stop and go home. They are very hard to deal with. The mostly occur during cardio exercises like running, bike riding, etc. Here are some ways to push through them:

1. Breathe
I wrote a bit about this in my blog last Thursday. Thanks, Bob , for posting a great comment regarding the importance of getting to the second wind as soon as we can.

Look at your breathing. How often are you breathing? Is it through your mouth or nose? Are you breathing in on the left step or the right step?

Daniel 10:7-19
7 I, Daniel, am the only one who saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide.
8 So I was left there all alone to watch this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak.
9 When I heard him speak, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground.
10 Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees.
11 And the man said to me, "O Daniel, greatly loved of God, listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you." When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling with fear.
12 Then he said, "Don't be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.
13 But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.
14 Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come."
15 While he was speaking to me, I looked down at the ground, unable to say a word.
16 Then the one who looked like a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing in front of me, "I am terrified by the vision I have seen, my lord, and I am very weak.
17 How can someone like me, your servant, talk to you, my lord? My strength is gone, and I can hardly breathe."
18 Then the one who looked like a man touched me again, and I felt my strength returning.
19 "Don't be afraid," he said, "for you are deeply loved by God. Be at peace; take heart and be strong!"As he spoke these words, I suddenly felt stronger and said to him, "Now you may speak, my lord, for you have strengthened me."

2. Visualize

You need to create some mental scenario so that you get through the pain. For example, I imagine you need to get to the top to avoid a massive water tsunami that is about to hit the bottom of the hill. I know it sounds childish but it really does work and motivate you to forget about the pain.

3. Concentrate

If you are firmly concentrating on your goal you will find that nothing else matters. For example, if you have decided that you will run flat out for 20 minutes or 20 miles, then it shouldn’t matter how much your lungs hurt - you should just keep going.

Heb. 11:40
For God had far better things in mind for us that would also benefit them, for they can't receive the prize at the end of the race until we finish the race