Since my gym membership is not going to be renewed due to finances and i haven't paid my home owner fees yet, I couldn't go to the club gym yet. This left me one option only on this cold day if I wanted to get in a long walk, the mall. So, I got in my car and went to the mall. My brother in law used to love to walk the mall when he was alive more than the treadmill. It wasn't too bad until I went by the pretzel place, but having my music blaring in my ears helped distract me. I covered two miles easily in thirty minutes. I always wondered how fast I could go on a flat surface without the dogs in tow. Then, just as I thought I had done so well, this lady came zooming up from behind me with these super long legs going twice as fast as me without any effort !!!!!!! She covered twice the distance as me with one step ! Talk about all the the built up yea inside of me going out like a rubber balloon losing all of it's air ! I'm sure those of you who run have experienced this feeling.

I was reminded of the story of the talents that the master gave his servants. He gave the one with the most talents the most money to do something with. The next he gave a few talents, and the last he gave one talent. I'm not really going to talk about this parable except to say, God knows me and he gave me a certain amount of talents in this life. In some areas he gave me a lot of talent, in others he gave me a little. What he expects of me is to go forward with what talent I have and do something with it. Obviously, walking as fast as that lady is not one of my talents, nor is running a 5K or half marathon. But, I can be quite pleased with walking 2-5 miles eventually a day. That would be an increase of my talent. What he wants me and expects me to do is to rejoice for the other fellow when he or she reaches his potential too. In fact that's what the body of Christ is all about. Here at CK, encouragement is what we are all about. Helping each other reach our potential and increase are talents. It is about that wonderful message that when there is more than two, there is strength. Thank you all for being my strength.