A Note of Encouragement

from Ciloa

Looking up through the trees into a beautiful dark sky

I lift up my eyes to You,
to You whose throne is in Heaven.

Psalm 123:1

When Passion Brings Victory

Volume XVI, Issue 28

July 11, 2016

When Passion Brings Victory...by Janet Perez Eckles

"And what do you do?" I asked the passenger seated beside me in the airplane.

"I'm a carving artist," he said.

"I entered the world competition of ice carvings in Japan," he added, in his unique Filipino accent.

"Tell me...did you win?"

"Well," he replied, "at first the contestants from other countries poked fun. They said, 'Hey China man, where's your power saw? Are you gonna use that hand chisel?'"

Ice sculptor with a hand chisel working on a block of ice

He did, because that's all he had. With chisel in hand, he began his carving on an eight-foot block of ice. He finished quicker than other contestants who used fancy power saws.

With a passion to win, he had carved the figures of a Filipino man cutting open a coconut and, beside him, three dogs watching. The image was 3-dimensional, displaying every detail.

And my new friend, with hand chisel in his back pocket, went home with the gold medal.

We can do the same when we face an ice block of life's adversities that freezes our world with pain. We may not have the fancy tools to resolve them. We may even lack the skill needed to make our way through the coldness of disappointment.

But what we do have in the back pocket of our heart is the passion to follow Christ Jesus. And with the chisel of faith, we possess the power to win over challenges, to triumph over setbacks, and to sing victory at every step.

And how we can be certain of victory? Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. (Psalm 20:7)

Will you sing triumph in Jesus' name today?

Seeing the best of Life,

Janet

Janet Perez Eckles, founder of JC Empowerment Ministries, is a professional speaker and author of books to inspire and help thousands overcome fear and anxiety. www.janetperezeckles.com

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