Have you ever done something wrong? Seems like a simple question with a
simple answer, but why is it we forget that when it comes time to forgive
someone else from a mistake they made. Forgiveness is something we want to
receive but many times are not as willing to give. Greetings in the name of
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
As the season winds down the real estate at the front of the field
become the place everyone wants to be. The challenge becomes the methods
used to get there. At times it seems all respect for other competitors is
thrown out the window as long as you can gain that coveted spot. I am not a
fan of throwing it in, see what sticks and asking for forgiveness later.
Let me set the record straight, we all make mistakes. We all make
choices that, at the time, seem right but in retrospect they were not the
correct ones. The way we handle them determines our motives. We can ignore
them and walk away or we can take responsibility for them.
As I take a look back I can remember several occasions over the
past few months that mistakes on and off the track have been made. At the
moment when they occurred it seemed the whole season hinged on them. After a
little time passed there significance has waned; we have moved on. Those are
the ones that are easy to deal with. Other mistakes take on a life of there
own.
Some are not truly mistakes but maybe a little creative rules
interpretation. Penalties are levied and corrections are made. We move on or
at least we are supposed to. Some of us have longer memories than others.
Some mistakes linger because the punishment doesn’t fit the crime.
We are left to wonder what is truly right and wrong. When that happens the
doubt created can lead to questions and disagreements.
Some never seem to be dealt with so they linger and fester. These
types effect relationships and are the most destructive. No matter what the
situation was, when mistakes are made they need to be corrected. We need to
take responsibility for them and seek forgiveness. We then need to forget
about it and move on.
Forgive and forget; a familiar refrain, but one of the most
difficult things for us to do. Many things are said when you try to
encourage people to forgive; we want to get back at the person who wronged
us. We have a need to get even. We have our rights and no one is going to
take advantage of us. We say that we forgive but we will never forget. We
tend to be unforgiving people when it comes to others, but we want to be
forgiven when it comes to us.
Let’s take a look at what God says about this issue. God’s rules
never change and His standard is always the same. God does not accept our
“mistakes”. God is right and just and when we act in a way they breaks His
moral standard we sin. Sin is not something that God can accept. God says
all sins are the same, big, small doesn’t matter they all fall into the
category of missing the mark. We all have done it and all will have to pay
the penalty.
Romans 8:23;
There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God.
And the penalty is the same;
Romans 6:23a; For the
wages of sin is death,
But look at the rest of that verse
and we start to see what God intends for us.
Romans 6:23b;
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God said I will make a way for your
“mistakes” to be forgiven; I will send My Son, Jesus Christ to pay the
penalty for you.
John 3:16-18;
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to
save the world through him.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe
stands
condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and
only Son.
Forgiving those who have wronged us
goes a long way toward restoring peace. Jesus was the ultimate peacemaker.
He gave his life so that we could have peace with God. Jesus came, suffered,
died and rose again so that the penalty for our sin would be paid in full.
We can receive that payment by accepting it. It is a gift from God.
Ephesians 2:8-9;
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from
yourselves,
it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast.
God provided this opportunity for
forgiveness and we can receive it by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and
Savior. When we do we make peace with God, we restore our relationship with
Him, our sin is forgiven and remembered no more.
As the season comes to an end, take a look back and see if there
are some people you need to forgive. We are expected to forgive as God
forgave us. That means not because we deserve it but because He loves us.
Forgive not because they deserve it, but because God forgave you.
We cannot experience the full blessing of God if we refuse to
forgive others. Our unwillingness to forgive implies that our standard is
greater than God’s. That is not correct; God’s standard is the only one that
counts. If God is willing to forgive you there is no reason we could have
for not forgiving others. Make that commitment this week. Commit that you
will go to the people you have refused to forgive and forgive them. Don’t
worry if they refuse to accept it, many have refused to accept the
forgiveness that God offers. We are not called to make people accept our
forgiveness, but to offer the gift. Offer that gift to someone today. Make
the effort to make things right, no matter how difficult it seems.
THOUGHTS FROM THE
ROAD
JUST KEEP DIGGING - Ronnie
Silk nailed down the Whelen Modified Championship with one of the most
challenging days I can remember. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time
when an engine went sour and he was the first car though the oil. Spinning
he destroyed the right side of his car. After the Grasso boys and crew
worked to put it back on the track Silk drove his socks off. I talked to his
crew chief as they celebrated and he shared with me how bent up the
suspension was, he didn’t know how Ronnie could drive it. From eight laps
down he fought until the end and kept himself in position. A late race spin
by Todd Szegedy cemented the championship for Silk.
I know there are many people involved with that team that have
experienced some pretty rough days at Thompson, this day was a cause to
celebrate everything they worked for. They found the right combination after
years of trying and hoisted the Crystal bowl for the first time.
Congratulations to the #6 TS Haulers team.
SPEAKING OF DIGGING DEEP - Glenn Reen found his way to
Victory Lane with a little help from the push truck and our Lord. I am not
sure how many restarts he could handle but I lost track at five. Glenn
fought off every challenger to claim his first Whelen Modified Tour victory.
He stopped on the front stretch to do a burn out but the car wouldn’t go, it
was finished!
Glenn thanked the Lord in Victory Lane because he knew that He was
the one who carried him home. He said there was no way he could have done it
on his own. With the crew celebrating a race they only decided to run last
Monday, Glenn was thankful to be in Victory Lane.
WORLD SERIES IN THE BOOKS - The weekend never seems to
disappoint, the ending was the icing on the cake, not a fan left early and
in the end they were on their feet, as a full house shared the celebration
of a classic World Series.
RACING FAMILY PRAYER NEEDS - This week has been a
challenging one for the Riverhead Racing Family as they deal with the tragic
loss the Trinca family suffered. Please continue to lift them up in your
prayers.
Also the LaJoie family’s loss this past week of Kathleen “Kathy”
Brady LaJoie, wife of Don for 53 years, mother of Randy and Grandmother of
Corey, she will be missed by family and friends.
Please keep the IRL family and the family of Dan Wheldon in your
prayers as Dan lost his life in a terrible crash at Las Vegas Motor
Speedway. It has been a challenging few days and our hope and prayers are
with those who are grieving the loss of their loved ones; please join us in
those prayers.
Until next time, be a witness for our Lord with the ministry decals and
apparel. See them at the Show Your Faith Apparel Store at
www.rwjm.com. Send us
your prayer and counseling needs no matter what part of our racing family
you are in, or give us a call. Until next time, remember that God loves you,
we love you and
Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing. GOD BLESS.
Mail reaches us at Racing with Jesus Ministries, PO Box 586,
Tolland, CT 06084.
Check our weekly printed pages in "Area Auto Racing
News",
the East Coast’s largest weekly racing paper.
See our on-line Apparel
Store for subscription information.
Check our home page
www.rwjm.org for past
articles.
We invite you to input your thoughts as you sign our Guest Book.
Please remember, we can only do what we do because of your prayerful
financial support.
Numbers 6:24-26 "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord
make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face
toward you and give you peace."
May God always Bless you, everyday in everyway. Rev. Don
CHECKERED CHEERS
***WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES***
October 19
MIKE & KRISTIN MASSARO- The former Ellington, CT/ now North Carolina
ABC/ESPN race announcer and wife share their 13th anniversary.
October 20
KRISTEN (ADAMS) AND SCOTT ROBINSON- Daughter of Thompson veteran driver Leo,
HAPPY 15 YEARS.
October 22
REV. PAT & BETTY EVANS- This would have been the 28th anniversary for Pat
and Betty. Please keep Betty in your prayers as this will be a difficult
day.
October 24
JIM & PAT BEEBE- The Star Speedway NASCAR flagman and wife have their
anniversary.
October 25
DON & MELINDA FOWLER- This Waterford Speedbowl Modified driver and wife have
their 39th anniversary.
***HAPPY BIRTHDAYS***
October 19
SHAUN ROBERTS – Crew member for the #27 SK Light at Stafford Motor Speedway.
RICK FULLER- Auburn, MA NASCAR WMT/Super Late Model driver.
DANA PATTEN- Enfield, NH former NASCAR KNPSE/NNS U.S. Chrome driver.
GARY ST. AMANT- Columbus, OH late model driver.
YOLANDA SHERIDEN- Retired Riverhead Raceway lady driver.
LISA WOOD- Wife of Pelham, NH SuperModified driver Russ.
MICHELLE SAVERY- Daughter of Seekonk driver Dana and wife Laurie.
RUSS DOWD- Thompson Speedway General Manager, golden throated announcer and
friend of this ministry.
HOLLY PRINGLE- Ontario, NY 2002 Stock Microd champion at Sodus Microd Club.
October 20
JACK WILLIAMS- Fire supervisor at Stafford Motor Speedway for over forty
years.
LARRY BROLSMA- Midland Park, NJ dirt Modified driver.
BOBBY ZUROWSKI- Riverhead Raceway LM driver.
STEVEN COLLICHO- Former Tom Baldwin NASCAR WMT team crewman.
BILL ARMOUR- Bluefield, VA writer.
October 21
MORGAN SHEPHERD- Conover, NC NNS driver and outspoken Christian.
BOB LeSIEUR- No. Easton, MA NSC photographer.
ROBERT ROSSI, JR.- Riverhead, LI, NY based Mike Ewanitsko NASCAR WMT fan.
October 22
TONY VECCHIO- Syracuse, NY Former NASCAR KNPSE team owner and chassis
specialist.
JOHNNY UNSER- Long Beach, Ca born, Sun Valley, ID IRL driver.
MIKE SWANN- Rev. Pat's cousin from Sumneytwon, PA.
JAYE COTTER- Wife and assistant to No. Attleboro, MA racing paper/magazine
sales rep., Paul.
RUTH TAGG- Mom of Webster, MA CT Mod retired driver Tom.
Ocotober 23
TREVA MERRILL- The wife of Newton, MA based Monadnock Speedway (Keene, NH)
GM, Carl.
CATHERINE & CHRISTIAN HANKS- The twins of CT ProStock driver Roy and wife
Donna.
NATALIE BELMONT- A daughter of Pennsy based ARCA/NNS driver Andy and wife
Jennifer.
October 24
TRACY LESLIE- Clemens, MI NNS/ASA driver.
EDDIE DUMBROWSKI- Riverhead Raceway based Rusty Turbush LM crewman.
STEPHANIE PETFIELD- A daughter of Thornwood, NY RWJM KNPSE Pastor Dan and
wife Debbie.
S.J. GOLEMBESKI- crewmember for the WMT #99 of Jamie Tomaino.
October 25
WARD BURTON- South Boston, VA former NSC driver.
BILLY "BEAR" CALLICHO- Meriden, CT top innovator, owner on the Modified TOur.
PAUL TEETER- Ithaca, NY antique car enthusiast.
AMANDA GRAVEL- A daughter of NH ProStock driver Gege and wife Lisa.
JOSHUA BRANDON LAWRENCE- The son of Dino and Chris, proprietors of Carolina
Signworks in Rockingham, NC RWJM Counselors.
SHARE YOUR SPECIAL OCCASIONS WITH YOUR RACING FAMILY.
SEND THEM TO:
RACING WITH JESUS MINISTRIES
PO Box 586
Tolland, CT, 06084
TheChromeHorn RWJM Archives
Racing With Jesus Ministries Website
|