365 WORDS...ONE WORD AT A TIME...JUNE IS IN FULL BLOOM!

The Belmont Stakes was run today and many people including me, favored CALIFORNIA CHROME to win. We of course were disappointed about CALIFORNIA CHROME finishing 4th and not taking the Triple Crown. It may seem a bit odd to use a horse for the focus of my One Word Journey today but, indeed its not! We all love an "Under Dog" story. After all the Bible says the 1st shall be last and the last shall be 1st (Matthew 20:16), which of course, has not one thing to do with horse racing. Like me, I believe most people were not thinking about the money involved. I don't make bets. We wanted a Cinderella Story...we wanted CALIFORNIA CHROME to go down in history as the little horse that could...that almost nobody believed in. Sure, CALIFORNIA CHROME didn't win the Belmont Stakes but I believe he still has a great story. He did what many of the upper echelon horses could not achieve...he won 2/3 of a magnificent series of races. In my opinion...that "ain't" half bad! Although we may not finish first in every race we run in this life...our Heavenly Father still sees those who are called by His name as champions! The point is  to give it our all, if we stubble and fall, get up...if we stray off the narrow path, with God's help...find it again...like the Bible says...keep pressing...or like my Pastor used to say way back in the day..."keep on keeping on!" Like CALIFORNIA CHROME, we all have the heart of a champion inside of us when we are born again. Keep on believing that and 2/3 of your battle is won. Like Joyce Meyer says, "You may not have had a great start, but you can have a great finish!"