He Who Began a Good Work in You...

Here I am before heading out for my morning hike. I passed a woman who said, “Are you training to hike Yosemite?”

“No...I am training to hike my neighborhood.”

Go ahead. Laugh. I am used to it. I have reasons for every bit of wacky gear in the picture. Starting at the bottom: 

1. Hiking boots with ankle support to give firm circumferential support to my Achilles’ tendon which is unfortunately giving me a lot of trouble lately. 

2. Hiking stick- dual purpose. Purpose one is to help with push off in my walking stride especially with the injured Achilles’ tendon. Purpose two is to whack any creature that comes near with intent to harm, especially intent to bite already damaged Achilles’ tendon

3. Belly pack: holds my phone to call ER if my damaged Achilles’ tendon snaps during my hike and I am unable to belly crawl all the way home

4. Exceedingly warm hat: because if I ever climb Mount Everest I will need it and I like to be pro-active.

Other than my long hike in my full mountaineering gear, I spent the entire day working on my next book. I have been so busy that I have been unable to work on a new book at all. The break was probably a good thing since it gave me time to think about the ideas for my next project and decide which I wanted to tackle next. I spent several hours writing, and finally called it a day after 5,000 words. That is a good start and eliminates the “empty canvas” syndrome that is the biggest deterrent to starting a new project.

In fact, the hardest part of almost any endeavor in life is just getting started.

I know you have heard this but it is so apt: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

How do you walk several miles a day? One step at a time.

How do you write a book? One word at a time

How do you clean a house? That one I can’t answer...

But you get the idea.

It is biblical too.

Philippians 1:6 

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

We are a work in progress, and while our progress may seem slow, God began the good work in us when we became a new creation in Christ. We need to keep moving forward in Him, towards Him, and He will bring us to completion in Christ.

So what’s the first step? 

Become a new creation in Christ. Repent of your sins, proclaim Jesus as Lord, believe He was raised from the dead, and you will be saved. The journey begins. 

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Isaiah 43:18-19 

  

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.