Heart Hope by Olga

Supposedly 25,000 people visited Beaver Creek, CO this weekend. It wasn’t for a food and wine festival, or for skiing, but for a torture event. Many of the people were there to participate in the Tough Mudder, which is a 10-12 mile obstacle course designed by British Special Forces to test endurance, stamina, strength and camaraderie.  Cold water, mud, electric shocks, snow, ice and walls are just a few of the challenging elements that participants contend with during the competition.   The contest is so fierce that applicants are asked to take the following pledge: I understand that Tough Mudder is not a race but a challenge. I put teamwork and camaraderie before my course time. I do not whine; kids whine. I help my fellow mudders complete the course. I overcome all fears. In addition to the contestants, there are the observers-those people interested in watching other people go through pain and agony. I’m not sure which is worse the ones going through the anguish or...

Last night the Wednesday Morning Bible Study cooked hotdogs at the Edwards Skate Park as an outreach event for the community. While studying 1 Peter this spring we decided that we wanted to be an example to others and one way that we could do it was through serving. So with a great team, helping to bake cookies, making signs and purchasing the hot dogs we were just about ready. My husband and I went to pick up the grill from The Vail Church, but while walking up to get it we noticed movement under it—a snake. Well Satan may have been trying to keep us from serving the community, but we weren’t going to allow a little garden snake to thwart our plans. So we moved the grill toward the car, but soon discovered that it was not going to fit in our SUV. Satan again??? A phone call was made to a friend with an enclosed truck who agreed to stop by and see if it would fit in her vehicle. Upon her arrival, she was about 2 inches shy of fitting it in her truck, when she laid hands on it and said,...