Spreading Cheer
Proverbs 12:25
Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.
We are in the middle of a pandemic. Very so much that is uncertain. There is a lot that has talked about that causes fear for people. I do not want to be one of these people that lives in fear and therefore perpetuates that fear onto others by the things that I say.
I’m going to choose to trust in the good things that God has provided, by looking into the past and seeing those things, looking for the good in my current situation, and trusting in God for the future that he has promised.
Through choosing a lens of hope, positivity, and joy I want to convey that to others. I want to try to build others up if they are down. I want to encourage others as they continue to fight the good fight. So today I want my heart to be in tune to God to hear who I should be looking to cheer up and cheer on through my words.
Living Generously
Tuesday March 24
James 5:1-6
Luke 6:20-21
Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
Proverbs 11:24-25
One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
We are doing a Bible study of James and we just covered James 5:1-6 the other night. It talks about the judgment That is headed for rich people. How God sees all the times they are not generous.
Then yesterday during my reading was Proverbs 11: 24-25. And there’s the same idea slapping me in the face. Do I want to be a person who withholds from others? Or do I want to be a generous person, someone who refreshes others so they can be refreshed?
Then in today’s reading The beatitudes came up in Luke. And there’s the same idea.
It isn’t saying that working hard and acquiring wealth is a bad thing. I don’t think it is even fully referencing just having monetary riches. But what is it that I am doing with the riches God has blessed me with? Am I just looking inward and focusing on things? Even in the midst of a global crisis like we have right now, where is it exactly that I look for comfort and security: God or my riches?
I know that I am not enough. I know that the monetary riches as well as other areas I have been blessed are not from me and I cannot put my hope in them. All good things come from the Lord and I need to continue to have my eyes open for how I can bless others especially during times like this.
Praying around the clock: For Such a Time as this! #COVID19
With the current situation of things I keep thinking about how I can do God’s work during this time. We might be called to bring food or supplies to those who are in need and don’t have them at this time. I want to continue to be aware of the opportunities God may present for me to bless other people but for right now the only thing that I know I can do is pray.
This got me thinking about times in the Bible when people were faithful in praying. There are examples of when the Bible says that somebody’s prayer even changed God’s mind. There are also examples of when God responded by doing the prayer that was asked (1 Samuel 1:11, 1 Kings 19:20, Mark 5:23, Numbers 11:1-3 among MANY OTHERS). Is it possible that God was always willing to answer these prayers but maybe was waiting for someone to be faithful and actually pray about it?
I don’t want to ask God what I can do to help and serve him during these times and then not actually be willing to take a step of faith that maybe what God is calling me to do is to pray.
I felt my spirit stirred that there were times in the Bible when people were faithful in praying by doing so multiple times throughout the day. It is for that reason that I don’t want to just pray one time and let it go at that. I want to be someone who is faithful in praying for God to show up during this pandemic.
I have felt called to pray around the clock about this until I feel God telling me that I should not. So I have an alarm set on my clock for every hour, even during the night. I don’t know that I have amazing words to say but I want to be faithful in showing up for God. Maybe I don’t have the human solution for this crisis, but maybe for such a time as this, I am being called to be faithful in prayer.
Would you consider joining me in this commitment to faithfully praying for God to show up in the midst of this crisis? He may not show up and immediately wipe away this disease as I pray he will, but if we are faithful in asking for him to show up, I fully believe he will!
Miraculous Healing
Over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend we made our annual trip to our friend’s cabin to reconnect with old college friends. This is also a great time to have everyone’s kids get together an play. What a fun time and such a blessing to see the way these kids are always able to pick up where they left off and really enjoy each other.
Another fun aspect of this trip is that we can use the facilities, as available, at the church camp next door. A new addition this year was a new gym space. We were able to take the kids in an burn off PLENTY of energy running around playing a variety of games. Another popular favorite is the tubbing hill. And this was the scene of what can only be described as a modern day miracle.
There were 2 different hills to choose from. One that was your traditional slide down the hill, and one that had a jump on it. The kids would all end up grouping up in different ways to ride down the hill, but the one thing that stayed regular for me was my middle daughter, Sophie, always went with me. On Saturday we did both hills and she really enjoyed it. When we all returned Sunday the hills seemed a little faster due to precipitation and freezing that occurred the night before, but we were all for it. There also seemed to be a second bump that had formed somehow on the hill with the jump and we had one little girl who took a pretty good bump going on it, so for a short time it was closed down for this to be fixed and then sledding resumed.
Sophie continued to be my constant companion on the hills and we had a blast together. She stated that she wanted to go back over to the hill with the jump so we headed on over. One requirement of this hill was that we had to wear a helmet. None seemed to be a perfect fit for her so I got the best one I could and tightened it up, but really didn’t think much of it as there had been no issue the day before. Just before we pushed off she became nervous, as it seemed to be the trend before every time down either hill, and she asked if she would get hurt. I smiled and reminded her that “I’ll be right with you. I’ll protect you.” Little did I know the lack of control I would soon have.
As we began our descent down the hill, our tube spun and we were going backwards. We hit the jump and were airborne and came down on the tube with some good force. I remember having my eyes closed as we hit thinking that we were good, but then we were sudden thrust backwards. I recall my back hitting and I began rolling backwards. At some point in my roll I know that my arms opened up and let go of Sophie.
When I stopped, I looked back up the hill where I heard my daughter screaming. I ran up the hill and turned her over to check on her and she was crying. I kept thinking “what just happened to my little girl? I just promised her that I would protect her and now look!” At this point I looked back up the hill and could see the workers looking down at me and talking to each other. All I could think to do was to try to keep her calm, tell her I was sorry, and pray. Boy did I pray for her! I also thought it better to not try to move her.
Within a minute there were a couple people that came down, one of which started checking her out and moving her arms and legs. After me asking him questions he stated that he was an EMT and RN, so I was happy to know there was someone else with higher knowledge than me there. There ended up being a couple others on staff there that were trained medically so they joined us to check her out and position coats around her to keep her warm. Meanwhile she continued to scream, keeping her left arm pulled in tight and not wanting to move it, and yelling that she wanted mom. I saw one of my friends at the top of the hill and yelled up for him to get my wife, Beth. As I looked up the hill I realized that there were pieces of Sophie’s helmet scattered on the hill. “She hit her head pretty hard!” I thought to myself and prayed for her. It was around this point that the EMT checked her leg, which didn’t look right the way it was bent a couple times as I looked at it through her snow pants, and he stated that he thought it was broken. I decided that it wouldn’t be helpful for me to look at that and worry, so I continued to try to look into my daughter’s tear-filled eyes and pray for her and try to calm her down…which didn’t work well.
After a few minutes, my wife arrived to be by our side. I just remember her looking at me with a very unsure expression and then back to our daughter. The staff brought down a stretcher board for her to be attached to so we could transport her up the hill and into the gym where it would be warmer for her.
As all of this was going on, our friends were running interference with the other kids, including 2 of my other daughters on the other hill. In my tunnel vision of ensuring Sophie’s safety, we apparently carried her on the board at a position where the kids could see her being transported. Thankfully my friends, Scott & Dave, did an amazing job keeping these kids calm and letting them know that we were just checking her out and they shouldn’t be worried. I’m so grateful for their ability to be there to love on my other kids when I couldn’t and ease any worries.
After we got Sophie to the gym, we set her down in the entry way. They stated that we should try to carefully remove Sophie’s coat to check her left arm (which she refused to move earlier, even just to squeeze someone’s hand). With the way they had been testing it when we were on the hill, I thought for sure she broke her collar bone (again, was praying like crazy). Beth helped remove Sophie’s right arm from the coat and all of a sudden, POW! Sophie pulled her left arm out of her coat on her own! What just happened? This was the arm she would move for no reason when we were on the hill and now moving it like it’s no big deal?!?! Then they checked her head, which they removed the helmet from. She could move her neck, her eyes weren’t dialated, she could answer questions and was coherent, and only complained of a small headache. But her helmet had pieces shatter off…This shouldn’t be! The EMT’s stated that things seemed good but to keep an eye on her. I then felt a pit in my stomach as I had to be the one to say “What about her leg?” But I knew that it had looked broken in two places down on the hill, even though some may say that it was just the way her snow pants were, I know what I saw and I know that the EMT told me he thought it was broken, so that seemed like a no brainer. He looked at her foot and said there appeared to be good blood flow and now swelling. We asked her how it felt and she said good. She had been complaining about it on the hill, so she must be wrong. Then she stood up on it! But how can this be?
I shook the hands of the men who helped us through this process and thanked them. They walked off as we waited in the gym for my friend to return with a vehicle to pick us up. I looked at my little girl as she sat on my wife’s lap. All I could do was tell her how sorry I was. It was at this point that my cool composure I had on the hill and upon checking her up to that point was all lost. I began to cry. I heard her say to my wife, “Daddy said he would protect me.” OUCH!!! Now I was sobbing! Not just a few tears, sobbing! I felt HORRIBLE! What a bad dad! I just promised my daughter I would protect her and then almost let her get broken! Why/how could I allow such a thing to happen!?!?
Later that night I asked my wife why this, along with some other minor things that have happened recently, would keep happening? Am I so reckless? Her response couldn’t have been more spot on. She said “God is showing you that you are not in control. He is!” Well I’m not a control freak, so why would I need that lesson? That can’t be it! But it was.
I promised my daughter that I would protect her, but I can’t always do that. I put my arms around her to keep her safe, but they weren’t enough.
I have come to realize though that even though I couldn’t protect her and my arms wrapped around her weren’t enough, the arms of her heavenly father were wrapped around her. God loves my daughter more than I do. I don’t know how that can be possible, but he does. He was the one who protected her. AND he is the one who healed her on that hill. She should have had a concussion and broken bones, but I believe that because of his love for her, love for me, and the power of prayer that he protected and provided healing on that very hill.
What areas of our lives do we think we have control in? What areas do we know that we DON’T have control in? Are you willing to recognize that even though your arms may not be enough to protect someone, maybe because you have a fall and can’t, or maybe it is because they are too far away, or something has created a divide between you, God’s arms are enough?
Trust in him that He can take care of all the areas of your life. Surrender yourself, all of yourself, even your kids, to Him today. Pray for him to show you the areas to give to him.
He loves you! And wants to work miracles in your life for the areas that need healing.
Give it over to Him!
Marathon Time!
Tomorrow I will embark on what is a bucket list item for many runners: marathon!
I am very excited and incredibly humbled and blessed when I look at where God has taken me, from O-Lineman who was a milkshake away from 300 lbs to running a marathon.
I’m not a big “bucket list” guy though so that wasn’t the motivation for this. This who journey was about getting healthy and through that, God has turned it into a passion, which lead me to realize that if I was going to do one I just had to sign up and do it.
So tomorrow is the next step of faith and trusting that God will see me through.
I hope that somehow God will work through me during this race and be glorified by my slow but determined effort.
Remember that God LOVES you!
Marathon Training
So I did it. I pulled the trigger and am going to be running Grandma’s Marathon June 20th. Training has been going okay. I get to the end of the long runs and feel exhausted. Tomorrow is 15. Going to try a run-walk method to see how that works. I would love to be able to run the whole thing and be at about a 9 minute/mile pace, but the way it’s gone, I can’t keep that up.
I find that I’m extremely grateful to finish each run upright. Probably no coincidence that I just came across Isiah 40 in my devotions “Even youth grow tired & weary; even young men stumble and fall. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Our God is a big God! He is capable to create everything. He is able to move mountains. I know he is able to have me finish a marathon. The hard work I will continue to put in, having my faith in Him every step, will get me to that finish line June 20th.
Thoughts
Hello-
It has been a while since I have written anything on here.
There isn’t a week that doesn’t go by without me thinking that I should really be updating this blog more often, but for one reason or another I haven’t been doing it. It makes me feel bad that I haven’t gotten to it and even, at times guilty. “What if someone comes to this site and my lack of updating it keeps someone from understanding how amazing God is?”
How stupid of me? It isn’t anything that I can do that will cause anyone’s life to be impacted for Christ. As it says in Romans 1:20 that through creation, God reveals himself to people so that they will see Him. He doesn’t need me to update a simple blog to do that. Psalm 24 says “The Lord Almighty- he is the King of Glory.” He can reveal this glory by any means he chooses.
I know that this isn’t necessary for that glory to be shown.
But incase you stumbled across this site, know that He is the source of all life. He is all that is good. And know that He loves you!
If you give your life to Him, you will be changed and will never look back. Yes there will be stumbling blocks along the way and it won’t always be easy. But they joy He gives and the promise of eternity is more than worth it.
Jogging for Jesus,
John Holgrimson
Half Marathon…and updates
This weekend we were up at my in-law’s cabin. It was a BEAUTIFUL weekend! The weather was gorgeous! We were able to be outside the entire time without getting rained on or feeling like we were going to melt away.
My brother-in-law talked me into going for a run with him. He is training for the Chicago half-marathon, so he wanted to go 13. We took off and went at a nice pace, able to have a great time talking with each other along the way. We actually ended up going 13.4 mile! Thank you God that we were able to finish upright and not with any injuries.
UPDATE:
If anyone is interested in joining the Hope-Fellowship Jesus Jogger group, we are now running at 6:00 on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s. We meet at the church and would love to have you join us.
Jogging for Jesus,
John Holgrimson
TOUGH Mudder
Well, last week I took part in the annual rite of passage known as the Tough Mudder!
This was year 3 I took part in the with men from my wife’s family. It is always a blast to hang out with these guys and a fun way to be active. Each year we have seemed to have someone who seems to struggle and this year I was the lucky one.
My wife wanted to try a new diet to keep us healthy and if she’s on board for something healthy, I’m all in. This happened to be a “cleanse” or “kick start” from the South Beach diet though, that called for no carbs or sugars. This wasn’t the best combination the week of a 10 mile plus obstacle event.
After about mile 3 I was really zapped for energy and starting to slow down. I felt horrible about it because I had been training hard to be ready. So I felt mad at myself for struggling and bad that I was slowing the others down. I offered to just stop and let them go, but my brother-in-law, Josh, and cousin-in-law, Scott, wouldn’t let me quit. We finished the event together and had fun, even at a slow pace.
I was blessed to have these guys who were willing to stick with me and motivate me. They truly showed me God’s love. I learned I can’t be too prideful and think I can always do things. Rely on others for strength, especially God, is a basic lesson, but guess I needed to feel like I was going to just need to lay down and take a nap to be reminded of it.
Don’t try to do things on your own. Rely on God. He may just show up in the form of 2 sweaty family member who will help you through a race!
Overcast
The Hope-Fellowship branch of Jesus Joggers is up and running (excuse the pun). We have been meeting for a couple of weeks now. We have been blessed with some nice weather. The park we run through consistently, now has it’s fountain up and running.
Today we ran after some rain had come down, so some puddle jumping took place. We were able to complete just over 3 miles in under a 9 minute mile pace. Defiantly not setting any new records, but happy to finish.
If anyone is interested in joining us, send an email to John at jesusjogger@gmail.com