Welcome to the Strong in the Lord Blog!
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” — Psalm 28:7
Discover stories of faith, hope, and transformation from the heart of Lord’s Gym Ministries. Meet real people facing real challenges—and see how God faithfully meets them at every step. Along the way, you’ll find encouragement, inspiration, and practical insights to help you grow strong in your own walk with the Lord.
FOCAS Devo: A Reminder
From the Desk of Melissa Reinert…
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
I don’t know about you but the recent freezing temps, gloomy skies and raining days have made me a bit blue. The thing is this wintery mix isn’t ending anytime soon. So, we’ll just have to plow through it and with the forecast for this weekend, that’s probably what we’re literally going to do.
A’las, there is great hope. God.
Isaiah 41:10 says that we should not fear or be dismayed. God is our God. He promises to strengthen us; to help. He vows to uphold us with His righteous right hand. Wow!
It never ceases to amaze me that beautiful bow that appears in the sky after a rough storm. It shines above us as a reminder of God’s promise to mankind many years ago after the great flood. God promised that the earth would not be destroyed again by water. So after a hard rain, He hangs His bow in the sky as a reminder; that no matter how difficult the storm, we will not be destroyed. He will uphold us.
A week ago Cincinnati got a double reminder. Many were privileged to see a rather rare sight, a double rainbow. Many news outlets shared photos from viewers across the region. Oh, it was beautiful. However, not near as beautiful as what the symbol reminds us of, God’s many promises.
As we trudge through the rest of this winter season, I know I’ll be thinking of that double rainbow, that beautiful glow of love and assurance. Thank you, God, for keeping Your promises and reminding us of them, especially during our darkest hours.
FOCAS Devo: Go Tell It
From the Desk of Melissa Reinert…
“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!'” Isaiah 52:7
One of the things I enjoy most about the Christmas season that I’m always sad to see slip away until another year has almost passed is Christmas music. It’s so beautiful and cheerful, especially spiritually-based Christmas carols. Their message exudes hope. It is because it is the message of our salvation. And certainly, that is a message that shouldn’t be shelved but for a certain time of year.
So as the new year begins, I encourage you to, go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere… Jesus Christ was born! He lived to tell others about God’s great love. He died to show all of us God’s great love. He rose so that we can all live forever in God’s great love.
Wanted
From the Desk of Melissa Reinert…
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18
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Unwanted. Oh that’s a low feeling. And we’ve all felt it one time or another in life, but imagine if it was a constant gnawing. For the last two years, once or twice a year at Lord’s Gym, we encourage our friends to write thank you notes to our donors. The gesture has been challenged by some. Keep in mind the challenge comes from those who are lost most in the pit of despair. So many relationships have failed them. Life has been overwhelmingly difficult. It’s hard for a person who has experienced such to understand that someone can care unconditionally, that someone cares enough to make a positive impact on their life. I’ve always known that. I’ve also always known the importance of our supporters and donors and staff and volunteers. We’re all here and work together to make a positive impact on someone’s life. Someone lost deep in despair. But it really sunk in this recent round of Thank You cards. This time around, the Thank Yous were met with open arms. Everyone seemed happy to participate and express their gratitude, which is encouraging. I realized why when I saw a particular note from a friend in Price Hill: “Thank you for feeding us. Thank you for making us feel wanted.” Wanted. What a glorious feeling. It makes you feel warm inside; you are cherished and loved. This is how we want our friends to feel. Thank you for making that happen. It’s also how God wants us all to feel. It’s the reason for this season… Jesus – the King of Kings – left His throne because He and His Father wanted us. They wanted us to be with them! God loves and cherishes us so much He gave His son to die in our place so that we can be with Him forever. Doesn’t that make you feel so warm inside knowing you are that loved. That’s what we’re showing to our friends at Lord’s Gym and what we hope to encourage you to always remember. You are wanted. |
Community Christmas Parties: You’re Invited
Come celebrate the birth of Jesus with us…
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
We invite you to come and celebrate the reason for the season with us Friday, Dec. 22. Enjoy good company, fun times and the hearing of that familiar Gospel story – the greatest story ever told.
Our Price Hill community lunch and Christmas gathering will be held 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Family Activity Center. There will be a Christmas message, food, inflatable, crafting for the kids and toys. Every child present will receive a ticket for one toy.
The Covington celebration will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon. There will be food, caroling and a sharing of the Christmas story.
If you’d like to serve as a volunteer at an event, feel free to reach out to mreinert@lordsgymministries.org.
FOCAS Devo: Are You Lonely?
From the desk of Melissa Reinert…
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, for some. For others it’s the loneliest time.
Loneliness is an enigma. You can be completely physically alone and feel it. You can also feel it when you’re in a crowded room. It’s a sad, lowly state that seems to be magnified during what should be the most wonderful time of the year.
There’s a reason. The enemy is at work overtime. Because truly, the most wonderful thing is celebrated this time of year. Don’t let the feeling of loneliness get you down today or any time.
Truth is you’re not alone. Truth is you are deeply loved and continuously in the presence of the Lord, Who is the One Who loves you so deeply.
You see, the King of Kings, stepped down from His throne. The Lord of Lords abandoned His home. The greatest became the least. The one true God, Creator of the world, poured out his heart to you. The Father gave up His own Son for you.
Feel that love, not the lie of loneliness.
Thanksgiving Blessings
From FAC Director Danny Gomez…
Grateful to God for all our dedicated volunteers and staff who made this activity possible for the third consecutive year. Thankful for the team that God allows me to lead and for the incredible volunteers who have answered God’s call to uplift our hands and strengthen our knees with their help and resources. More than 375 coats were donated, most of them by our beloved members at All Church. Hats off to All Church! More than 224 people from the community were blessed. God is good! Happy Thanksgiving! 
A Giving Heart
From the desk of Melissa Reinert…
“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” Corinthians 9:11
My youngest is 5. He is such a sweet and giving child. I recently received a note from a parent of a fellow student in his preschool class, telling me how grateful she is that he is so kind to her son who has autism. He doesn’t have many friends, she said, but Jack goes out of his way to make him feel cared about.
I praise God for this. It’s all Him. I think the Lord is working in His young heart because his father and I have been very intentional in telling Him about God’s love and how important it is to love the Lord and to love people. Not that we by any means have this down perfectly. My husband and I are still learning this same lesson in our 40s! Let me give an example.
Over the summer, we make a few visits to the Cincinnati Zoo, it’s one of our favorite vacation destinations. We typically go in the mornings and once we get off the Interstate, we always see a lady holding a sign for help or food.
My son was very concerned about her and so we decided to feed her and pray for her. Every time we go to the zoo, we bring an extra breakfast sandwich.
Iv have to admit on this particular morning I was feeling good about the gesture. You feel good knowing you are making a positive difference in someone’s day. Well, God wanted me to give my heart a challenge that day, apparently.
We continued driving toward the zoo. On the sidewalk up ahead I saw a gentleman with a sign asking for help. We didn’t have any more breakfast sandwiches but,the Spirit reminded me that I had a little bit of cash on me.
“No,” I said, in my head. “We might need a drink later, I’m saving that.”
I felt a tug on my heart.
Still, I refused. And thought: “If Jack mentions you have money to give, I’ll give it. Otherwise, no.” Now I was sort of cheating because Jack had no clue I had cash on me. At his age it would be rare if he’d think of that. HA!
Jack finally caught sight of the man with his sign. “We have to help him,” he said.
“We don’t have any more sandwiches,” I explained.
“You have money, give him that,” Jack chimed.
Oh boy! I knew then, that God had been speaking to me for sure! At that moment my greediness melted away and I wanted to give the man what I had. I grabbed my purse and rolled down my window. The man with the sign and tattered clothes was so grateful. We also prayed for him as we drove away and I thanked God for reminding me the importance of having a giving heart.
Join Us for a Giving Tuesday Open House!
Come visit with us…
‘Tis the Season for Thanks
From the desk of Melissa Reinert…
“And on that day you will say, ‘Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; make them remember that His name is exalted.’ Praise the LORD in song, for He has done glorious things; let this be known throughout the earth.” Isaiah 12:4-5
And now let the weak say ‘I am strong’,let the poor say ‘I am rich’,because of what the Lord has done for us;and now let the weak say ‘I am strong’,let the poor say ‘I am rich’,because of what the Lord has done for us.Give thanks…”
Make a Difference
