“For Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things: to Him be glory forever. Amen.”

I know where to draw my strength from because it has been proven to me time and time again. Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” It is the cliché Bible verse for when things get tough. However, it is the verse that got me through my marathon! God reminds me to ask for strength daily, and He always delivers.

Little did I know that a verse from Romans would define the beginnings of my summer. My roommate gave a sticker with this verse on it at the T4K sendoff. We placed it on my handlebars, so I stare at it often while I ride.

I never realized how beautiful Texas is! The desolate country roads go on forever and offer vastness. There are incredible amounts of untouched land that is simply gorgeous. The vastness creates excitement in my soul. It reminds me of how far I have come as a person, but encourages me to continue to grow because the human soul is equally as vast. As a wide open field appears simple and untouched, it is actually complex. Many factors contribute to how the ecosystem finds the perfect balance- just like us. Surrounding ecosystems interact with one another and share different necessities in order to succeed. My teammates are my surrounding ecosystems. They are all unique and able to pour into surrounding teammates to thrive as one body, one team.

It is the simple moments that take my breath away and make life so good. “For Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things…” I am breathless multiple times a day not only from cycling up giant hills. Every view I see I am amazed that God allows me to behold His beauty. He loves me to bless me with eyes to appreciate it. “…to Him be glory forever.” He gives me strength to endure eight hours of this a day. “Amen.”