By RTF Administrative Editor Ethan Hamrick

Tonight I saw I’ve been Peter

Afraid of the wind and the waves

Striving to know

The tide’s ebb and flow (more…)

By Guest Writer A.E. Zander

The night sky was dim in the park my brothers and sister and I walked in. Laying abandoned on the ground sat a plastic beach ball, proving to be irresistible to my brother, who instantly whacked it high up in the air- and straight against my eye. I don’t think I’ll ever forget his horrified look at the black ring around my eye. (more…)

RTF Staff Writer Derek Hanisch

God has a sense of humor. I’m convinced of it. When most people read the Bible, they do it in dry monotone voices. They read the words and don’t visualize them. Here’s how I visualize one of my favorite stories. Read it and tell me that Jesus doesn’t have a sense of humor! (more…)

By RTF Guest Writer J.M. Schiele

Recently, my younger sister was watching her daily dose of fairy tale movies. It seems that every time I see one, I can’t help but say, “Why didn’t they do it this way?” Or, “If they only did it that way, then nothing bad would have happened.” However, in the end it always turned out perfectly. Just the way the writer had scripted it. If they had done it my way, perhaps it wouldn’t have turned out right. Maybe the princess wouldn’t have married the prince, and the evil villain might have won. (more…)

by Mary Ann Frazier

I was hanging out with some friends recently. It was just after we had seen a movie, and we stopped by a store on the way home. 

Old feelings rose up in me. Feelings of worthlessness, rejection, and ugliness. At first they succeeded in bringing me down, but why was I was looking at what the world thinks of me instead of remembering what God thinks of me?

So I asked God to help me. A moment later, I snuck a peek at a randomly chosen verse in a little Bible booklet I had.

 At least I thought it was random.

The first words I saw were, “Christ in you, the hope of glory”. It was exactly what I needed to hear!  (more…)

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

I was watching a Marathon, sitting with friends, one of them a runner. A guy ran by. He was bent over crooked. It looked like a rubber band pulled him forward.

“What’s up with that guy,” I asked.

“He’s dehydrated,” my friend said. “He’s in danger and doesn’t even know it. His body has taken all the fluids and now it’s drawing from his muscles.”

A bystander ran to the man and handed him a Gatorade and the runner swigged it down.

I hope it’s not too little, too late, I thought.  

Marathon runners train for months to get in shape. They have to wear the right shoes. They eat lots of carbs and the right amount of protein. They work to stay dehydrated, not just during the race, but before and after.

They train on similar terrain to the marathon course. It’s a lot different running a straight 26. 2 miles than it is running hills or into the wind or by water.

They have to know how to partner with others. There’s a point in a marathon that every runner wants to give up. Their body is screaming in pain. Their feet are bleeding or their toenails are turning black. Every time they pound the pavement it jolts their hips or knees.

A good partner might be a running buddy who comes alongside in those times and helps them keep the pace. Not too fast. Not too slow. Just one step in front of the other.

It might be a group of friends who hold signs with your name on it, or who scream out your name as you pass by, and then drive to the next major point so they can do it all over again.

Following Christ is also a marathon. It’s not a sprint. It’s discouraging at times, and ecstatic at others. Paul warns believers to stay focused and not to get tripped up. Your daily prayer life (just talking to God) is your nourishment. It’s something that doesn’t go away. You can dig down deep and find what you need when you’re discouraged.

Your roadmap is your relationship with Christ. It helps you remember who you are and where you’re going. When you follow Him, it won’t always be the easiest routes, or that of the least resistance, but it’s in his footsteps so you’ll grow in the process.

It will be important who you allow to encourage you as you navigate life. Are they taking you down, or are you showing them how to run the race?

What about when you fall or get injured in the race? Get back up. Athletes often fall and are bruised. They gain strength by getting up and learning from their mistakes.

At the end of the race, there is a prize. But there are also prizes along the way: knowing God, discovering your destiny, getting to know the Creator of the Universe.

Are you running the race?

by Debra Weiss

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” – Matthew 16:13-16, KJV

One day as I mulled over God’s many names, I wondered why he had so many. I only have one name. Wouldn’t just ‘God’ perfectly describe him?

As I thought about it, I wondered if perhaps God wanted to be my everything. Maybe that was the purpose in all the names, because He is supposed to be our everything.

Some of my favorite names for God include:

Everlasting Father. “And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6

Redeemer. “For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth;” – Job 19:25

Anchor. “…we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…” – Hebrews 6:19

Teacher. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” – John 3:2

Mediator. “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus…” – 1 Timothy 2:5

The people in our lives, they’ll always let us down but God won’t. God is always there. And he is enough to fill each ache, to renew our spirits, to lift us up.

Discussion: What are some of your favorite names for God? Is He your everything?

Debra Weiss is a freelance writer living on the East Coast. When she’s not writing or editing, she can usually be found at her website (http://www.debraweiss.net).

Derek Hanisch, RTF Staff Writer

From the moment that I accepted Christ into my life, I was taught about Christianity. One of those teachings was the Trinity. We have the Father, who is the God of the Old Testament. We have the Son, who, of course, is Jesus. Finally, we have the Spirit. I was reading through Romans, and the scripture on the Spirit really spoke to me for the first time.

Depending on the denomination that you come from, it’s very possible that your church doesn’t talk about the Spirit of God much. I know mine doesn’t.

The Spirit has been with believers since the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Paul, in Romans, has a lot to say about the Holy Spirit.

“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”-Romans 8:11

Wow, isn’t that cool? It was the Holy Spirit that was used to raise Jesus from the dead. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is now living within us!

Romans 8:26-27 are really eye opening for me. Did you know that the Holy Spirit prays for us? (more…)