Don't Ever Give Up

This is the latest book I have just started writing. I am including the introduction below to whet your appetite. I would appreciate any prayers in our direction as I undertake the task of writing this book. Writing any book is a great undertaking. I don't just want to put words on a page. I want God's anointing as I write and pray he would use the book to accomplish his purposes. Right now the title of the book is Don't Ever Give Up!

Introduction

            Have you ever felt like giving up? Have you ever been tempted to throw in the towel on your marriage, kids, career, and even your walk with God? Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by the challenges in life that quitting seemed like a better option than finishing?

            If you answered yes to any of those questions this might just be the book for you. In the pages ahead we will explore how to endure with faith in every phase of life. Some of the trials we face take the wind right out of our sails. Sometimes we do not think we can go through another day. The mental strength to drag ourselves out of bed to face another day of adversity evades us. The physical energy needed to make it through a fresh set of trials, heartaches, and disappointments wanes.

            We are not the first people to feel like giving up. We are not the first people to be pummeled by adversity driving us to the end of our resources. What we will discover in the pages ahead is that God has enabled people to endure life with faith against the dark back drop of anguish, afflictions, and adveristies. God has strengthened people to get back up after they were knocked down. We will be inspired by God as he worked through people to finish strong their races strongly.

            Two passages of scripture serve as the backdrop for this book. First, I love [Psalm 27:13-14] "I would have despaired unless I believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord." I love those verses because they speak to grit. They call for endurance and patience. The King James version of the Bible uses the words long suffering for the word patience.

            Let’s face the facts. There are seasons of suffering to overcome and survive on life’s journey. We all face trials, set backs, obstacles, and the temptation to want to give up. This book is a call to press on. To persevere. To endure. To overcome. To get back up. To try again. To refuse to quit no matter what the odds are. If this is what you need I invite you to take this journey with me.

            The other passage is [Heb 12:1] "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great  a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us and let us run with the endurance the race that is set before us." We all run different races. Some are easier and some are harder. God determines the course for each race of life. By faith we are called to trust him for the endurance to press on toward the finish line.

            What you will discover in the pages ahead is a little of my story. It has not been a smooth path without challenges. There have been many seasons when quitting seemed more attractive than pressing toward the finish line. There have been days when the temptation to simply step off the track of life set before me dominated my thoughts more than crossing the finish line. By God’s grace I am still running. I am still preaching. I am still writing. I am still getting up and loving my God as well as my family. I hope by reading this book you will learn what I learn anew everyday. Don’t ever give up!