.
August is a busy time but a great time to celebrate all that the Lord has
provided. We are on the road for most of the month of August and time seems
to fly by. Have we taken time to enjoy friends and family? Have we made time
for others in our lives? Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ.
We celebrated the first of many Wheels N Prayers events at Mt. Carmel
Christian Church, the new home for Racing with Jesus Ministries. It was a
coming together of friends, family, the racing community and the church
community. We had food, fun and even took some laps in the church parking
lot with a quarter midget! I hope the neighbors didn’t mind; kind of like
when Uncle Jed moved into Beverly Hills.
We have settled on this weekend as being a tradition and traditions have
to start somewhere. The Sunday following the Whelen Modified Tour Race at
Bristol will be the date for the Second Annual Wheels N Prayers, mark your
calendars. Your support and participation will make this a “can’t miss”
event. Who knows what the possibilities are?
When we come together and join in a common cause we can change the world
around us. Proceeds from this event will go to #raceforchace. This event
will give us many opportunities to touch the lives not only in racing but in
all the communities where we live, work and worship. Please make that effort
to be a part of something greater than we can be alone.
Speaking of the greater good it is important to remember that we have an
influence on those around us. Good or bad, people watch us and remember how
we respond. When things are going our way it is easy to be positive and
uplifting. But what about when things turn sour? How do we respond? People
will see our true character. When they do, will they see the love of Jesus?
Many times in life and racing we find ourselves in pressure packed
situations. We need to perform better to retain a sponsor or we need a good
finish to secure our point standings. There are many opportunities at this
time of the racing season to forget about everything and focus on our on
track performance. Crunch Time!
Sometimes when that pressure is put on us we do not represent God well.
We lose sight of what we have been called to become in Christ. We revert
back to being self-focused and self-serving. We forget to look around and
see what others are going through. That is not the way we should live. We
should be looking around for the opportunities that God has for us. When we
turn our focus to ourselves we do not see or hear the voice of God. Jesus
encourages us to remember who we are called to be.
Matthew 5:13-16: You are
the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be
made salty again?
It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by
men. You are the light of the world.
A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it
under a bowl.
Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the
house. In the same way,
let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and
praise your Father in heaven.
Jesus uses two analogies; salt and light. Let’s
take a look at salt first. Do you use salt? We use it for different things
such as to season food or melting ice. When we use it as a seasoning we do
so to enhance the flavor. Take a look around and see if you are enhancing
those around you. Are you making things better or worse?
We also use salt to change things. When we put salt on ice it melts and
makes it easier to get around. Salt can also be corrosive, when used in the
wrong way it can tear things apart. Take a look at the underside of your
car. We are encouraged by Jesus to use the love of Christ that is in our
hearts to improve the situation. Jesus cautions that if we lose our focus
and our “salt” is no longer affective we become useless.
Let me stop here and explain. We have the opportunity each moment we live
to affect those around us, either for good or bad. We decide how we will use
our influence. When we choose to be destructive our ability to claim the
love of Christ and help others is gone. We are no longer respected. When we
find ourselves under pressure we need to be aware of how we are
demonstrating our faith. We need to remember who is in control. We need to
avoid losing our saltiness, our credibility, our integrity and respect.
Think of it this way. You can be an egg, a carrot or coffee beans. Let me
explain, when we place each in of these in the heat of the moment, boiling
water, they react differently. An egg becomes hard-boiled. Its insides
change from liquid to solid. Our heart gets hard. Carrots on the other hand
get soft and mushy. They start off rigid and strong but end up all mushy, no
backbone, no firm foundation to stand on. Now coffee beans on the other hand
do not change, they remain the same. They do however change the water. The
water becomes aromatic and tasty. The water becomes desirable. The coffee
beans release part of themselves and improve the water. Which one are we?
When pressures come do we harden our heart, loose our foundation or add to
the situation in a way that improves it? Don’t lose your saltiness.
Jesus put in each one of us a light that will dispel the darkness. Don’t
hide your light, let it shine. Have you ever been in the dark? You cannot
see your hand in front of your face. Then you light a match, a little flame
and you are amazed at how much light it provides. You are the same kind of
light. We, as Christians, have the same opportunity to light the darkness
others are experiencing. When all hope is gone the light of one who knows
Jesus can bring hope to the world.
Have you ever tried to stumble around in the dark? Even in your own home,
you think you know where things are, but you still stub your toe and
stumble. When we hide our light we cause others to stumble around in the
darkness. When we keep the love of God to ourselves and do not share it we
leave others to find their own way in the darkness. Let your light shine!
Put it on a lamp stand and help others find their way.
Jesus used these two analogies to demonstrate two important functions we
have as Christians. We need to improve the lives of others and shine our
light to help them find their way. Have we improved the lives of those
around us or have we been an obstacle? The first lesson Jesus taught us in
this passage is that we have a responsibility to lead others. Whether we
realize it or not we are leading. Make sure you are leading people to what
is right. God Bless, Rev. Don
THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD
ONE MORE TIME - August is almost
over but we still have a busy weekend ahead. Rev. Dan is headed back down
south to VIR for the K&N East. He could use a passenger if you want to ride
with him. I’m headed to Riverhead for the Whelen Modified Tour’s second
visit. Friday night I will be in NYC to see my Red Sox take on the
Metropolitans at Citi Field. Thanks to my daughter. Looking forward to a
great time.
Let me digress a little, last time I saw a game at Shea Stadium was a
memorable one. I saw Willie Mays and Hank Arron play in the same game. What
a treat.
BRISTOL - Sometimes it is difficult to run a memorable race.
This was one of those times. With the spotty weather and the adjustments to
race schedule and distance, this was one race we just had to get through.
Not a shining example of what we are capable of but considering what we had
to deal with, we put it in the books and moved on.
As excited as Ryan Preece and the TS Haulers team was to win it was
tempered by not being able to make that final left turn into Victory Lane. I
know winning is good, but there are just some experiences in racing that you
long to have. Turing onto the roof and celebrating a Bristol Victory is one.
Good job guys, I guess you’ll have to come back and do it again to get that
experience.
Looking forward to the last four WMT races as the point race has
tightened up. Preece and Woody Pitkat are separated by two slim points going
into the final stretch. Doug Coby and Todd Szegedy are still within striking
distance. Stay tuned this story may very well not end until the final
checkered falls.
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
http://www.rwjm.com/store. Send us your prayer and counseling needs no matter
what part of our racing family you are in, or give us a call. 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.
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articles.
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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
SHARE YOUR SPECIAL OCCASIONS WITH YOUR RACING FAMILY.
SEND THEM TO:
RACING WITH JESUS MINISTRIES
PO Box 586
Tolland, CT, 06084
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