WORD for Today!!

Good Morning everyone!!! I know you all are going to have an awesome day!!! All of you bless ME everyday! I pray the same for you!! The scripture for today is found in 1 Corinthians 9: 24-27, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one 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. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." (NIV) During our lives, we are running a race, an eternal race!! The prize--an eternal crown that will last forever!! HOWEVER, each one of us, have had different experiences "running this race". Before WLS, we were on the course that for some of us could have led to an early death, unhealthy life or even could have influenced our family to follow in the same footsteps that we were going in. Now that we chose or are choosing to have WLS, we are adding a new dimension to the race. We are running it with a new energy, a new vison and a new life!! Our prize, on earth, is that we get to live longer, be more active, be more involved with our families AND we get to be a witness to others around us, that even though we may been through some horrible things in our life, we have become a new person and are Victors and not victims!! AMEN!! WLS is a new birthday for us. I now tell people I have 3 birthdays! My natural birthday, my spirtual birthday ( the day I excepted Christ into my heart) and new "life" birthday (WLS). The other dimension to this is that when we are at goal weight or close to it, we encourage others to take care of themselves, physically because we can show them that it is possible to have this area of our life under control and in submission to God. People are more apt to listen to someone that obviously as this under control vs. someone who is struggling this area. As Paul says, he made sure his body wass under submission so that he didn't become disqualified for the prize or in other's eyes. WLS helps us run this race!! WOOHOO!!! My prayer for you today is that you would realize that God has ordained you for this season in your life, that He has equiped you to accomplish that which he has called you to do AND that He blessed you with this surgery so that you can have a new life!! In Jesus Name, AMEN!! I Love you all! Lucy