Hi Tabby and Calvin
As we head into the last quarter of this year, I dont think that anyone or any company out there wouldnt want to finish strong in 2009.
To finish strong is more than a statement, it is an attitude. It is an attitude of believing that you can do something and you gonna need courage and determination to see it through.
For Calvin, it would be fighting to stay positive in the Air Force despite the boring work and shifts that you are subjected to. The rules that you have to comply with.. which I think is not a bad idea :) since you break my house rules all the time! To survive as an adult in society, one needs to know how to work, how to get there on time, how to get along with jerks and superiors, how to stay with a task until it's completed, and yes, how to submit to authority!
1Cor 9:24-27 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only 1 gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
Winning the race requires self-discipline. Discipline in your life is doing things you dont like to do. You glorify God when you exercise discipline coz you say no to laziness.
Tabby, God has answered our Jabez Prayer (1Chron 4:10) for you. He has blessed you richly with lots of exposures/experiences overseas by extending your territory. His hand was with you, & He has kept you from harm and pain. Your work experience in Shanghai and now, your exchange in Canada have given you exposure to different cultures and people. For this last quarter, you have to be determined to get adequate sleep no matter what so that you can concentrate on your studies and finish well. It is not a problem for you since you already believe in excellence.
Phil 3:12-14 "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
With the single-mindedness of an athlete in training, you must lay aside everything harmful and distracting that may affect your health and your purpose in Canada.
Vince Lombardi said, "The will to win.. the will to achieve.. goes dry without continuous reinforcement."
In a perfect world, we hear something once, store it in our brain and never need to hear it again. Well, my world is far from being perfect. I constantly need to reinforce, encourage and motivate myself to keep moving forward towards my personal goals, family goals, ministry and work goals.
These verses in Psalm 18:32-36 encourage me.
"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
He enables me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You (God) give me your shield of victory and your right hand sustains me;
You stoop down to make me great.
You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not turn.
Blessing U
Mum
