The Results

What an incredible day! She took FIRST PLACE!!!!! Thank you for the prayers!

You can see why! Okay --- I am her mom and I can say that! :)

You can also see the first thing she did when the final evening show was over --- drink water, lots of water! That's one of the toughest things the competitors must do -- limit their liquid intake. No, I don't know all the science behind what they do but I know she was enjoying every drop!

It was humbling to watch and know the "behind the scenes" dedication and work and courage it took for each one of those competitors to get there!

This morning's message was more timely than Pastor Dave's son (who is filling in while his dad is taking a much needed break) knew! His final words to us; "be strong, be courageous, do the work!" That's exactly what my daughter has done! She has been strong when being weak would have been the easy way and the more comfortable way. She has been courageous when courage was costly. She has done the work and seen the results! God has given her a gift and she is using that gift to reach out and help others, to show them that with strength, courage and "doing" you CAN succeed! She even had clients that she is training come to the show yesterday! I loved it when she left the conversation going on between us, her sister, her niece and her fiancee and literally ran to greet and thank one of her clients for coming! She has a real heart for them, a true passion to help and the strength and courage to do what it takes, sacrifice what it takes, and to give of herself when it would be easier to sit back and enjoy the results herself!

She is my daughter -- I love her (obviously), but most of all I love her obedience to the calling God has placed on her life!

To D.A. (who preached this morning) -- you have no idea just how God was using you this morning! The smile on your face showed the joy of the Lord shining right through you -- your obedience to break out in a solo song is REAL strength and courage and the example of "doing the work." Thanks for telling us all what we needed to hear!

Another extension of that message ---- we have a new family in our church --- from India and although they have only been in our country for 3 or 4 weeks they have been in our church each Sunday. Monty has gotten to know them a bit and when we saw them walking home from church last week in the heat he decided to ask them about their transportation this morning. They said they had no transportation and were looking for a couple of used bicycles. Monty came to me and said we were going to go to Walmart after church and purchase a bike and take it to them this afternoon.

Now we don't have the money to do such a thing but we've learned that God holds all our finances anyway! We decided to ask a couple of friends if they knew of anyone who had a bike so we could come up with more than 1. Surprise! Monetary donations came in and one man spoke up and said he would go with us and purchase a 2nd bike!

I decided to ask one more friend who was just finishing a conversation with the Indian family. His face lit up like a lightbulb and said his neighbor had just asked him yesterday if he knew of anyone who would like bikes as he and his wife have sold their home and are going into RVing full time.

So . . . within a few hours Monty and I had not 1, not 2, not 3 but 4 bikes loaded in the truck and were headed for a surprise delivery. And . . . the couple who donated them also has a beautiful dining room set to donate to them and wanted us to see if there was anything else they could use!

Isn't it amazing how God can surpass our wildest dreams if we just "be strong, be courageous and do the work" of being obedient??!!

It was an amazing day yesterday! It was an amazing day today!

I wonder how many amazing days we could all have if we would just "be strong, be courageous and do the work?"

To my daughter, Lindsay --- congratulations! You ARE strong, you ARE courageous and you DO the work! You've earned the blessings!!!

Until next time . . . what amazing blessing is awaiting you? Susan and Monty