Goin' for the Gold!!

I love watching the Olympics - seriously I'm a junkie for the games!  Whether it's the Summer or Winter events, my husband and I can't wait to plop down in front of the tube each evening with a big bowl of buttered popcorn and route for our athletes!  Their stories of commitment, dedication and passionate pursuit of the highest award within their sport is amazing to me.  With an undaunted spirit each one continues to press on through pain, setback and disappointment with their eyes upon the prize - the gold!!

I particularly enjoy the women's gymnastics events during the Summer games and am intrigued by all of the tiny young gals who at a very early age forfeited a life of little girl normality to a life of fierce competition, rigorous training and commitment to learn the skill of superhuman graceful balance, resilience and stamina.  How in the world they can walk and run with the grace of a gazelle on a four inch wide balance beam and then fling themselves into mid air and stick their landing perfectly in one graceful power packed fell swoop is astounding to me!  Or, during the floor exercise competition perform as gracefully as a ballerina while amassing such great speed to tumble, vault, whirl, summersault and fly through the air and stick a landing at an exact mark upon the corner of the mat!  Simply amazing!

Don't laugh, ya'll....but I wish I could do that (I know just the mental picture of me doing a balance beam or floor exercise competition event is hilarious)!  Maybe it's because I admire their passion and envy the fulfillment it must bring to their hearts and emotions to hit their mark. They say that these atheletes visualize themselves performing every move of their routine before they even climb on the beam or walk onto the mat blocking everything else out except sticking a perfect 10 landing.  They remain totally undaunted and unfazed by what's going on around them - such an unbroken focus!

I had the most amazing (and funny) experience right after the Bejing '08 Summer games!  I wrote the happening in my journal and really haven't given it much thought until the last week or so while watching the Winter games and I want to share it with you. God does these things in my journey sometimes.....they make me laugh and I think He gets a good laugh out of them too!

August 26, 2008 journal entry......

Running, Jumping and Tumbling in Walmart - Not Beijing!!

I had the most unusual sensation or shall I say strong desire yesterday while strolling through Walmart!  I realize I became a gymnastic junkie during the Beijing Olympics and found myself cheering for our gymnasts with reckless abandon, but the sensation that came over me at Walmart just makes me LOL and marvel at the Lord's sense of humor!!

I was directing my cart down a long unobstructed aisle toward the hardware department when suddenly everything within me wanted to take off running, jumping, cartwheeling and flying through the air and upon landing, plant my feet with hands lifted high and shouts of Praise to the Lord right in the middle of Walmart!!!  It was one of those moments that seemed like nothing else mattered.....it was just me and Him!!  I must say it was a real rush just thinking about performing such an off the wall feat.....needless to say, I didn't do it (but boy did I want to...if only!)!  I'm quite sure if I had, it would have made the local evening news....."Middle aged woman vaults and tumbles through Walmart hardware aisle, sticks a perfect landing and deserves the gold for guts, boldness and form"!!! LOL!  

As I brought my thoughts back down to the real world, I continued on with my shopping and began to wonder if that's the "feeling" David felt when he just abandoned reason and praised the Lord with all his might!  David had walked with God and experienced His faithfulness and amazing manifestations of His presence and power and just came to the point of letting go and expressing his gratefulness and praise with unrestrained freedom!  I think his heart spilled over upon his emotions and he began dancing running  leaping and cartwheeling with unrestrained joy!!!

"David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might!"  II Samuel 6:14

When I survey my life's journey thus far, I can see the hand prints of God all along the way.  He's always been so faithful, loving, compassionate, full of grace and continually revealing His goodness towards me!  Through good times and bad He's always been there and walked me through every season....forever encouraging me through His Word and leading me by His Spirit.  Even if I hadn't been walking this journey with Him for a long time now and had just met Jesus and surrendered to his Love, just the wonder of wonders that my name is written in the Book of Life and am now in right standing with God and can boldly approach the throne of Grace, should stir unrestrained heartfelt expressions of praise, worship and joyful adoration unto Him all the day long!!  He is so worthy!!


How 'bout you today?  You don't have to "feel" like it to praise Him!  Just begin rehearsing His mercy, faithfulness, love, grace and covenant blessings He's bestowed upon you and "bust" out a praise!!  He's listening - go for the gold - go for His heart!!

"From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same

the Name of the Lord is to be praised"

Psalm 113:3

"Bless  (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, 

Oh my soul and all that is (deepest) within me, 

bless His holy name!"

Psalm 103:1 Amp (emphasis added)

"My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long"

Psalm 35:38

Oh, let us praise His Name forever!!  He is so worthy!!!

Love and Sweet Blessings!