PastorTim

THE COURTHOUSE VIEW

It is not something that I do often, but recently I found myself in the Scioto County Courthouse so I had a little time to sit and take in the view. This is a beautiful building if you really take the time to sit and look at it. It was built in 1936 and is arrayed with beautiful columns, architecture and history. In most counties in the United States, the local trial courts conduct their business in a centrally located courthouse, which may also house county governmental offices. The courthouse is usually located in the county seat, although large metropolitan counties may have satellite or annex offices for their courts. I have seen some beautiful courthouses in my lifetime. From the Supreme court building in Washington DC, to the Old Courthouse in St, Louis which was the scene of many rallies, speeches and several important trials, including the suit by Dred Scott for freedom from slavery and Suffragist Virginia Louisa Minor for the right to vote. Last year at Greenfield Village next to the Henry Ford museum in Dearborn Michigan I saw the Logan County Courthouse that was built in Pottsfield Illinois where a young traveling lawyer named Abraham Lincoln tried many cases. So sitting there in the Scioto County Courthouse watching the people and the activity I thought about not only it’s beauty and history, but also it’s purpose. I began to think about all that this place represents. For example, I saw flags and paintings, which speak of the law, and justice. I saw people and faces realizing that many were there to face charges, testify, or represent someone who was on trial. What all this boiled down to was that this house was where truth and real life come together. Where they meet and where consequences for ones actions were revealed. Truth and real life, something to ponder don’t you think?

As I thought about that I began to think about the Church house. It as well is a place where truth and real life come together. There is or should be the faithful teaching and preaching of the truth. I know this has become a subject of debate to those who embrace the postmodern position that there is no truth available to deal with. I beg to differ however, or should I say the Bible plainly exposes that as a false notion. No truth equals no right and wrong. No truth means anything goes. Even the most liberal theologian should cringe at the thought. You see the end result of that worldview is that chaos ensues and Godlessness prevails. But the church house still stands for truth. Truth that comes face to face with real life, and is more than able to change lives in the process.

My mind also went to the house that God built in the beginning. Us, or better yet our bodies! Paul would phrase it this way, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” By the way, God has a plan for this house. That wonderful plan is to honor him. Paul also in describing this creator says, “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” There is that pesky word truth again. Whether you like or not, you gotta deal with it! Winston Churchill once said, “Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened.”

The scriptures echo to us over and over again the need to truth in ones life, “He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.” “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.” You see, knowing the truth brings protection, “Psalm 91:4
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”  When truth reigns in the heart of a man there is peace, Peace, “Jeremiah 33:6
Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.” The lifestyle of truth produces Praise, “Psalm 138:2
I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” So with thoughts of Courthouses, truth and real life swirling in my mind I cannot overlook one last moment when truth will come face to face with real life. Listen to Psalm 96:13
”for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.” Truth will play a part in that final moment when creation stands before the creator Himself. It is often the easiest course to put off dealing with the things of God and the reality of eternity, but may I remind you, Court is in Session!

 

 

 

BACKYARD PERSPECTIVES….

Not long ago I found myself sitting in a lawn chair looking out at the vast expanse of my back yard. Nothing much to see really, just some trees, a row of hedges, and uh, grass. But years ago however I saw something completely different. When but a wee lad that backyard was a special place. In fact it was Riverfront Stadium! Those trees were the majestic left field wall, and that row of hedges; well that was the far-reaching border of right field. The grass was somehow transformed into beautiful Astroturf that lay out before you in beauty and splendor. It was a sight to behold if I recall correctly. And you talk about big. The place was humongous! It was all a fella could do to go from first to third on a single. Reaching the centerfield fence was a gargantuan task. And if you listened closely you could hear the stands roar with fans. Today though, it’s just a backyard with grass to mow and tree limbs to pick up. The hedge needs trimming often and I can easily walk from first to third to take the pruning shears back to my tools shed. “I couldn’t run if I tried!” Why the difference in descriptions you ask? What it boils down to I believe is perspective. To a ten year old mind that back yard was a vast expanse, and why not. Looking forward, the world was big, new and exciting. To a 46-year-old homeowner with yard work on the brain, and looking backward I’m thinking how did this dinky little backyard ever look so big? Again, it’s perspective. A kid looking forward, a middle aged man looking backward. You get the idea.

         Things do look a little different in the rear view mirror don’t they? That job interview that scared you to death from the perspective of a 20-year career looks mighty small now, but then it was huge. That algebra test in high school that kept you up the entire night fearfully studying, why you can’t even remember the worry many years later. Why? Perspective. During WWII General Creighton Abrams found himself and his troops surrounded on all sides. With characteristic optimism, he told his officers, "For the first time in the history of this campaign, we are now in a position to attack the enemy in any direction." Now take this perspective thing and look with me at the bible and it really gets a person to thinking. Peter and John had just been arrested for the healing of a man at the temple. After fierce interrogation and a warning to stop preaching in Jesus name we find them as they are being released from jail, “And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: ……..And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.” Now this is exciting stuff to say the least. But the real thrill comes when you think of their perspective. We look back and see a story in the bible and read about these people called Christians. We know how their story ends, they didn’t. But to them it was their life that was on the line for their faith in Jesus Christ. People died for that then. Trust me, it wasn’t something they took lightly!  We see a story; they saw the potential of loosing their life for their faith. And with that perspective, did you hear their desire to speak the truth boldly? They would speak boldly and it would cost them their life. You talk about a humbling realization to this writer.

It causes me to realize that it is easier to look back at the stories of yesteryear with admiration without realizing the weight of what Christ Followers faced daily. May we have the same passion and zeal with or without such persecution. Perhaps it would take such a path of trial to make one fully appreciate what this early church faced. With or without the trial, may we possess such determination and commitment. From Today in the Word comes this true account, “During China's Boxer Rebellion of 1900, insurgents captured a mission station, blocked all the gates but one, and in front of that one gate placed a cross flat on the ground. Then the word was passed to those inside that any who trampled the cross underfoot would be permitted their freedom and life, but that any refusing would be shot. Terribly frightened, the first seven students trampled the cross under their feet and were allowed to go free. But the eighth student, a young girl, refused to commit the sacrilegious act. Kneeling beside the cross in prayer for strength, she arose and moved carefully around the cross, and went out to face the firing squad. Strengthened by her example, every one of the remaining ninety-two students followed her to the firing squad.” So as I look at this issue of perspectives it begs the question, what’s yours?  

THE FRIENDSHIP DOCTRINE…

I tell ya, I’ve got the best friends in the world. Here I am, miles from home and gullible to a fault. Not living in the big city and dealing with the dangers of criminal minds daily I find myself letting my guard down I suppose and believe it or not someone took advantage of old Timmy. I’m still not sure really just when it happened, but it did. Some of you who have experienced the joy of having your credit card information stolen may have learned just what to look for but there I was, a spud miles from the tater patch and well, I got peeled! The long and the short add up to, er uh I should say subtract substantially from what I had in my bank account! Good banks with good protection plans are a must these days and I have a great bank. Thanks Darlene, what a friend! But back to the afore described dilemma. A hayseed miles from home in a big city with a debit card worth less that a plug nickel! Now it’s not the predicament I found myself in, nor the way everything worked out that I want to write about today. Nor is it the having or not having money that I want to dwell on, it’s not even the way the bank took great care of me. By the way, did I mention I have great friends! What is worth writing about is the blessing I experienced when friends found out what had happened. Their willingness to help, their willingness to send money and their willingness to do whatever it took to make sure I was OK. Jerry from California, Richard from North Carolina, Audrey from Ohio, my I am a rich man when it comes to friends. Someone once said, “prosperity begets friends, adversity proves them.” I can say AMEN to that! I am blessed with Friends here. Solomon wrote “Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.”

I am honored to be a friend to others as well. Willie Morris writes, “One example of friendship remains with me as vividly as the moment I first heard of it as a boy. In his first seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie Robinson, the first black man to play Major League baseball, faced venom nearly everywhere he traveled--fastballs at his head, spiking on the bases, brutal epithets from the opposing dugouts and from the crowds. During one game in Boston, the taunts and racial slurs seemed to reach a peak. In the midst of this, another Dodger, a Southern white named Pee Wee Reese, called timeout. He walked from his position at shortstop toward Robinson at second base, put his arm around Robinson's shoulder, and stood there with him for what seemed like a long time. The gesture spoke more eloquently than the words: This man is my friend.” Often in being a friend to someone else it involves not only reaching out to them when they are in need but standing with them when they are all alone. No words, just the ministry of presence. Again Solomon wrote “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”

Which leads me to the greatest friend any of us can know in this life. Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”  Friends that will help us in a bind are wonderful, friends that stand with us when no one else will are great, but friendship with Jesus is priceless! And by the way, if you are not personally acquainted with Jesus today, he wants to be your friend! Perhaps you need a friend right now. I know the feeling. I recall many instances when I’ve felt alone in a crowd, when I’ve been scared, when I’ve been hurt, and when I’ve been in need. Let me tell you there’s not a greater feeling in the world than to see the face of a friend when you are in a moment such as that. Chuck Swindoll writes in Grace Awakening, “During his days as president, Thomas Jefferson and a group of companions were traveling across the country on horseback. They came to a river, which had left its banks because of a recent downpour. The swollen river had washed the bridge away. Each rider was forced to ford the river on horseback, fighting for his life against the rapid currents. The very real possibility of death threatened each rider, which caused a traveler who was not part of their group to step aside and watch. After several had plunged in and made it to the other side, the stranger asked President Jefferson if he would ferry him across the river. The president agreed without hesitation. The man climbed on, and shortly thereafter the two of them made it safely to the other side. As the stranger slid off the back of the saddle onto dry ground, one in the group asked him, "Tell me, why did you select the president to ask this favor of?" The man was shocked, admitting he had no idea it was the president who had helped him. "All I know," he said, "Is that on some of your faces was written the answer 'No,' and on some of them was the answer 'yes.' His was a 'Yes' face." As we go through this life is good to have friends, but when we come to that river called death that each of us will cross one day. I don’t know about you but I want to see the yes face of Jesus when I get there. The question is not, do you have any friends, but rather do you have friend in Jesus?

 

ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN……

At 10:56pm EDT July 20 1969 Neil Armstrong made his descent to the Moon's surface and spoke his famous line "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" The mission fulfilled President John F. Kennedy’s goal of reaching the moon by the end of the 1960s, which he expressed during a speech given before a joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961: "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth." Last week while in Florida I found myself with about 5 hours of time on my hands to do nothing in particular so I decided to take a drive. I was staying in Orlando and thought I would just head east a bit and see what The Kennedy Space Center was like. Though not a space buff myself, I had always found NASA fascinating. Since it was the Fourth of July weekend I was thinking again of what the great freedoms of this nation propelled by the American spirit could accomplish. After touring the “Pass only” areas and being overwhelmed by the imposing structures and the sight of the Space Shuttle Endeavor sitting on launch pad 39A ready for transition from earth to space, quite a sight to behold if I do say so myself! I found myself back at the vast visitors center looking at and experiencing all the sights and sounds of NASA. Over and over I was confronted with those immortal words of Neil Armstrong, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind".

With awe and wonder filling my mind I was taken in my heart to different scriptures throughout the New Testament that in essence say that very same thing only from a different perspective. Paul wrote to the church at Rome, “The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” There it is, our small step. Not much we could do really, when it comes to the issue of sin and separation from God. But oh how God loves his creation, and in the midst of that Love was found a way to take a step toward Him! But because our step was limited, God reached down to us. And there standing at the Mecca of mans greatest efforts to reach the heavens I was reminded of how God reached down to us.  Paul again wrote, “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” You talk about a giant leap for mankind! The leap however was from heaven to earth. God came here so we could go there!

From Readers Digest, 1987, Peter Michelmore writes, “Normally the flight from Nassau to Miami took Walter Wyatt, Jr., only sixty-five minutes. But on December 5, 1986, he attempted it after thieves had looted the navigational equipment in his Beechcraft. With only a compass and a hand-held radio, Walter flew into skies blackened by storm clouds. When his compass began to gyrate, Walter concluded he was headed in the wrong direction. He flew his plane below the clouds, hoping to spot something, but soon he knew he was lost. He put out a mayday call, which brought a Coast Guard Falcon search plane to lead him to an emergency landing strip only six miles away. Suddenly Wyatt's right engine coughed its last and died. The fuel tank had run dry. Around 8 p.m. Wyatt could do little more than glide the plane into the water. Wyatt survived the crash, but his plane disappeared quickly, leaving him bobbing on the water in a leaky life vest. With blood on his forehead, Wyatt floated on his back. Suddenly he felt a hard bump against his body. A shark had found him. Wyatt kicked the intruder and wondered if he would survive the night. He managed to stay afloat for the next ten hours. In the morning, Wyatt saw no airplanes, but in the water a dorsal fin was headed for him. Twisting, he felt the hide of a shark brush against him. In a moment, two more bull sharks sliced through the water toward him. Again he kicked the sharks, and they veered away, but he was nearing exhaustion. Then he heard the sound of a distant aircraft. When it was within a half mile, he waved his orange vest. The pilot radioed the Cape York, which was twelve minutes away: "Get moving, cutter! There's a shark targeting this guy!" As the Cape York pulled alongside Wyatt, a Jacob's ladder was dropped over the side. Wyatt climbed wearily out of the water and onto the ship, where he fell to his knees and kissed the deck. He'd been saved. He didn't need encouragement or better techniques. Nothing less than outside intervention could have rescued him from sure death. How much we are like Walter Wyatt.” Man is still reaching up and thankfully God is still reaching down. Do you need to take a step in his direction?

NASA wanderings a few weeks back.......WOW!

DON’T BE SORRY MAM…..

This week I was again reminded of one of those things I really need to work on. There I was at the 27^th General Assembly of the Church of the Nazarene in Orlando meandering through the exhibit section of the Orange County convention center with 25,000 or so Nazarenes from all over the world. Along with the ministry exhibits strewn from here to yon was the Nazarene Publishing house’s large display of books, music and clothing. Nazarene clothing to be exact. Tee shirts, hats and my personal favorite, golf shirts. Now I am a bit picky when it comes to colors and styles, not that the type of collar has a thing in the world to do with my golf game, but I do have a particular taste when it comes to a polo if you get my drift. Suddenly out of the corner of my eye I saw it, a goldish orange color with just the right logo in just the right place, in fact I could hear it whisper, “buy me Tim, buy me”. So I sauntered over to the display table and began sifting through those breathtaking bargains. The sales lady, quickly spotting a cash payin customer hurried to the corner where I was admiring the sporting attire. "Can I put you in one of those?" she mused, "Sure can I just need to find my size." Looking back, I should be flattered that she did not instantly walk up and say, try another stack pal, those aren’t available in your dimension!” but she innocently questioned, “what size do you take?” to which I replied in a mumbled form, “xl,” “what she asked”, “XL” “sir you’ll have to spea”… “XL!” I SAID LOUD ENOUGH FOR THE PEOPLE SHOPPING NEXT TO ME TO CLEARLY HEAR. Oh she replied, we are all out of extra large sizes in that one, to which I replied, “no need to say your sorry mam, I’m the one that’s, how you say, PORTLY!” hence the one of those things I have been meanin to do lines from the beginning of this little muse. A few years ago when Steph got married I had trimmed myself down to ???, now I am back up to ??? Is there anything in your life you’ve been putting off?

         For some it could be a project around the house. For others perhaps it’s a trip to take, or even a doctor’s visit you procrastinate with. These in themselves are things that need to be done, yet for whatever reason we push them to the backburner in our lives. I love the this story, “A farm boy accidentally overturned his wagonload of corn in the road. The former who lived nearby came to investigate. "Hey, Willis," he called out, "forget your troubles for a spell and come on in and have dinner with us. Then I'll help you get the wagon up." "That's mighty nice of you," Willis answered, "But I don't think Pa would like me to."  "Aw, come on, son!" the farmer insisted. 

"Well, okay," the boy finally agreed. "But Pa won't like it." After a hearty dinner, Willis thanked his host. "I feel a lot better now, but I just know Pa is going to be real upset." "Don't be foolish!" exclaimed the neighbor. "By the way, where is he?" "Under the wagon." My kind of humor! However when it comes to issues of the soul, it is no laughing matter.

In the book of Acts Paul found himself sharing the Gospel before a governor by the name of Felix. When the governor indicated that Paul might speak; Paul addressed the governor with courtesy sharing his faith in Jesus Christ, which began to speak to the heart of this leader. Paul said “But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.” First notice that Felix Made No Decision Though He Knew The Facts. “But when Felix heard these things, having more accurate knowledge of the Way, he adjourned the proceedings and said, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will make a decision on your case.” We quickly see that Felix habitually postponed decision even when he knew what he knew he needed to do. He made the decision not to make a decision even though his mind was informed with the facts, the text says, “having more accurate knowledge of the Way,” Felix had a passing knowledge of the facts of the gospel. Secondly we see that, He Made No Decision Though His Heart Was Stirred. The outcome was that “…..Felix was afraid and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.” An old story goes like this, “3 demons were graduating from their training in Hell University and they were taking their Final Exams. Satan asked each one of them, “What are you going to do to deceive people?” 1st Demon: “I’m going to tell people there isn’t a God.” Satan said, “You’re not going to convince people of that.” 2nd Demon: “I’m going to tell people there is no heaven, there is no hell, this is all there is!” Satan said, “You won’t have much luck with that everyone can sense there is more than just this life.” 3rd Demon: “Satan, I’m going to tell people there is no hurry…Yes, there is a God, but you can make that decision some other time.” Satan said, “Congratulations, you have the winning strategy that is going to deceive millions of people!” A scholar once surveyed the Scriptures to discover the most significant words in the entire Bible. He wanted to find the saddest word, the happiest word, the most emotional word, and so on. When he came around to the Bible’s most dangerous word, he identified it as tomorrow. Anything you need to do come to mind?

Lunch on Jekyll Island on the way to Orlando..

IT’S A GUY THING

Now there is a segment of those who read this that are going to say, “Tim, You Da Man! Right On, Yesssssss” Then there will be another segment of readership that will groan and say something like, “Oh brother, Just like a man, Are you serious Tim, You too!” The guys who are reading will connect with me like apple butter to hot toast! I am bound for Florida for an amazing event that brings together thousands of Nazarenes from all over the world for our General Assembly. I don’t have to speak until Thursday, the Assembly starts on Friday so Terri and I thought we would go down a day or so earlier and you know, enjoy the 95 degree temps and that fabulous humidity, anyway we are leaving early so that we can take our time going down. Remember the phrase, “We are going to take our time”. I began to sense a twitching in my brain around Saturday before we left that prompted me to seek a destination for our first day or driving. But we are taking our time, we agreed on that. Still something deep inside kept nudging me, “pick a spot on the map man, pick a spot.” But if I pick a spot it will become a goal, and if I have a goal I have to meet that goal and if I have to meet that goal it will be a thing I have to do no matter what! You know what that means, Terri does. It mean, no stopping, no enjoying the sights, NO TAKING OUR TIME, WE MUST ACHIEVE THE GOAL! Now this can make for an uncomfortable trip to say the least, especially when you are traveling with your sweet wife, but when it comes to living for Christ, moving forward in a very determined manner is a must.

         When I think of determination I think of Paul. In his letter to the church at Philippi I get a sense of determination that can and should be modeled by Christ Followers of today. “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.” "I press toward THE MARK," Paul confessed. "THE mark!" So far as he was concerned, there was no other worthy objective; no other goal so compelling and rewarding. "The MARK!" Something identifiable, not vague. It was something he could perceive and understand. When his heart was fastened upon it, he adjusted the course of his life appropriately. Too often Christians "settle" for a walk with the Lord that is well below what He makes available to His people. As Abraham Lincoln prepared to sign the Emancipation Proclamation, he took his pen, moved it to the signature line, paused for a moment, and then dropped the pen. When asked why, the president replied, "If my name goes into history, it will be for this act, and if my hand trembles when I sign it, there will be some who will say, 'he hesitated.'" Lincoln then turned to the table, took up the pen, and boldly signed his name. May no one ever say of us, “He Hesitated”. May they see in us a focused goal and a life that is determined to reach it.

The 1992 Summer Olympics featured an amazing picture of determination. Unlike Carl Lewis and Daley Thompson, Derek Redmond is not a name that conjures up memories of Olympic gold medals. But it is Redmond who defines the essence of determination. Redmond arrived at the 1992 Olympic Summer Games in Barcelona determined to win a medal in the 400. He had been forced to withdraw from the 400 at the 1988 Games in Seoul so when the 1992 Games arrived, this was his time, his moment, his stage, to show the world how good he was and who he was.  Derek's father Jim had accompanied him to Barcelona, just as he did for all world competitions. They were as close as a father and son could be, the best of friends. The stadium is packed with 65,000 fans, bracing themselves for one of sport's greatest and most exciting spectacles. The race begins and Redmond breaks from the pack and quickly seizes the lead. Down the backstretch, only 175 meters away from finishing, Redmond is a shoo-in to make the finals. Suddenly, he hears a pop. In his right hamstring. He pulls up lame, as if he had been shot. Jim Redmond, seeing his son in trouble, races down from the top row of the stands, sidestepping people, bumping into others. He has no credential to be on the track, but all he thinks about is getting to his son, to help him up. Then, in a moment that will live forever in the minds of millions, Derek Redmond lifts himself to his feet, ever so slowly, and starts hobbling down the track. Slowly, the crowd, in total disbelief, rises and begins to roar. The roar gets louder and louder. Suddenly, Jim Redmond finally gets to the bottom of the stands, leaps over the railing, "That's my son out there," he yells back to security, "and I'm going to help him." Finally, with Derek refusing to surrender and painfully limping along the track, Jim reaches his son at the final curve, about 120 meters from the finish, and wraps his arm around his waist. Together, arm in arm, father and son, with 65,000 people cheering, clapping and crying, finish the race, just as they vowed they would. With a heart that is pressing toward God’s best for your life, you and I will finish the race with our heavenly father right by our side. Make that your goal!