Faith. Focus. Finish.

Rodeo is a pretty religious sport, as sports go. A lot of the people you see in rodeo, even at a professional level, you see a lot of guys (and gals, of course) who really seem to have their heads on straight and their ducks in a row.

Shane Hanchey, who's a tie down roper who made his first win at a Wrangler NFR in 2010 (the very end, so like, last month) has on his Twitter "Faith Focus Finish." (P.S., yes, I AM a Twitter nerd. hehe)

I feel that's a really simple way to sum up life as a Christian.

We strengthen our faith. My "theme" verse, I guess you'd call it, is Hebrews 10:23 -- "Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope, without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." It's telling us to hold onto our faith, (and I love the promise, too, that God himself is faithful.) But I think first and foremost in life, we have to have the saving faith, faith in salvation. Then we have to focus, and keep our focus. Focus on God, focus on faith, focus on testimony. Persevere, would be another word. If we have the faith, and if we have the focus on our faith, then we're going to finish, and more than that, finish STRONG. I think that's important. Finishing strong.

So, I guess let me leave you with this verse:

Therefore, since we have 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 endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

-- Hebrews 12:1&2 (New American Standard)