I am a fighter!  Winston Churchill said, “Never ever ever ever ever give up.”

Three years ago, after my very first boxing class, I was hooked!  I loved the hitting part.  I have never really hit anything in my life.  I grew up ice skating, of all things, and I still crave the freedom of the ice.  But my first boxing punch felt completely exhilarating.  The power of the impact, the sound of the quick snap on the bag, I wanted more.

I was quickly educated.  My endurance was pathetic, my rhythm sitcom worthy.  Clumsy, uncoordinated and winded. I glance over at the man sparing next to me.  I think, I could never ever do that.  Clean, crisp, focused with endurance.  His movement was beautiful.  Powerful and graceful at the same time.  How does he do that?

Each time, I wrap my hands and pull on my gloves, I feel a little more sure.  Just ever so slightly more like I belong in this class.  Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined boxing to be the beginning of my training to climb Kilimanjaro.  I was being prepared way in advance.  Physically and mentally.

My muscles scream under the pressure to hold the positions while my brain battles to recall the words.  Jab, cross, hook, upper cut.  Seems simple enough when I write them. But when fists are flying, it’s intimidating and I struggle to keep up.

Punch after punch, my endurance increases as my body begins to naturally respond. My strength grows and my memory rapidly engages.  It is hard for me to remember back to a time when I couldn’t complete the full eight boxing rounds but I know it to be true.

It has taken me three years to build up my endurance.  Three years of pain, suffering and breaking down to build up.  Three years of one day at a time seems like a long time.  Most days, I am not sure what kept me going.

Hope has kept me going.  Hope that endures, hope that lasts.  Hope that promises, these are not my best days, this isn’t the end…and God has a plan even when I can’t see it.  Pushing through the pain to the next day.

This is exactly how my Faith has been growing and enduring too.  Only a few years ago, I would say my prayers and expect them to be immediately answered.  But God isn’t a vending machine and I don’t dictate to HIM.  Oh, how I love to play God and take control.

But it’s my job to trust HIM.  And Faith IS a muscle.  A muscle that needs to be stretched, strained under pressure and strengthen.  I have learned this does not happen over night, it takes endurance.  And oh man, can it hurt.

Have you ever torn down your muscles so that you can’t even feel them anymore.  One of my favorite trainers, Jose says, “We gotta tear down once in a while to build up..to get stronger.”  I hate him…every minute of the pain I hate him.  Actually, it’s a love-hate thing.  Jose knows he’s doing good for me even though it hurts like hell.

God tears down too…tears down to build up.  Tears down to build character, perseverance and endurance in Faith.

In Hebrews 11, The Bible lists…Giants in Faith.  Noah, the boat builder;  Abraham, the Father to many nations; Rahab, the prostitute who hid the Hebrew people and the list goes on and on.  Ordinary men and women who believed without seeing, who endured to the end.  They dared to trust God and as a result their stories fill the pages of HIS word for us to witness.

It’s my heart’s cry, I want to be a Giant in Faith.

He’s tearing down all my junk so He can build up.  Little my little, He’s increasing my Faith and I am learning to TRUST HIM.  I don’t know why it has to happen this way…but for me it just does.

Philippians 1:6 says, He who began and good work in me with bring it about to its completion.  He is building my Faith on the way to this Mountain….

Today, I am leaving for Kilimanjaro!

I will be pushing to the Top.  He’s not finished yet!

Thank you…Thank you for all of your encouragement, support and generosity!  I am over 100% of my fundraising goal, but if you have a desire to join in donating to these beautiful Children at the Napuu School in Kenya… there is still time and still a great need!!  

Will you please consider helping?