Jose Romero shared this at a Singles' devotional in April and he has graciously submitted it in written form. Those who are interested in submitting something inspiring, sharing a Bible study or submitting a paper should inquire with the webmaster (click the CONTACT US link in the upper right hand corner on the home page). We want to hear your thoughts!
"If you want to win, run/walk 100 miles; if you want to experience something,
run/walk a marathon," quoted a runner. My life had been transformed when I crossed the finish line at the L.A. Marathon last month (March 6, 2005). Here is how I got involved. One day, my running buddy and I hung out at a tapioca tea place. Some fliers at the counter caught our attention. It was about fund raising for leukemia patients through a marathon. That was the beginning of my journey.
The training program was physically and mentally demanding. I woke up at 5:30 am every weekend for four months to run around the Rose Bowl to work on my endurance. 
During the weeks leading up to the marathon, I practiced the hill and track runs to build up muscle and power. These training sessions could last for two to four hours each time. Sometimes we even trained in the rain. Once a teammate handed me a garbage bag, which I used to make a rain coat! On the day of the marathon, I saw runners from all walks of life. I remember a middle age man without a leg who passed me right before the finish line. I heard an eighty year old man finished his tenth marathon at midnight, taking him sixteen hours! The bottom line is we all crossed the finish line.
In the end, I was exhausted and barely could walk. But most importantly, I earned the official race metal, was encouraged that some lives were impacted, and would forever have a memorable experience!
I am grateful and want to thank all the brothers and sisters who sponsored and supported me!
Kevin Lau
Robert Lee:
This past weekend on February 18-20, over 1,400 singles throughout the United States gathered in Las Vegas, Nevada to attend an LA Church of Christ sponsored conference entitled “Greater Worth Than Gold.” The singles were blessed with the opportunity to hear powerful sermons, attend a variety of classes and partake in fun, friendship-building activities. I felt privileged and grateful to God for the opportunity to attend this amazing conference that strengthened our walk with God, and helped us focus on the treasure that is our faith and the ultimate goal of making it to heaven. What a blessing it is to be a part of God’s church!
The conference’s theme centered on the great value of our faith – worth even more than gold. We heard lessons by Tom Brown, Chris Reed, and Bruce Williams all focused on this theme. They preached on the value of our faith and the importance of protecting it at all costs. Bruce Williams’ message was particularly convicting and inspiring as he spoke about guarding our faith and God’s ultimate plan to refine our faith through suffering. Upon listening to the lessons, it became apparent to me how much we needed to be reminded of these things. I know that I had become so distracted that I forgot my greatest treasure is my faith.
Along with the great messages, there were a variety of classes for singles to choose from. Classes on prayer, purity, evangelism, and godly relationships were among several we had to choose from. On Saturday night we were able to attend a variety of events ranging from salsa dancing, speed- dating (a large room filled with singles going on short “dates”), a concert, and a dance to end the night.
Aside from the messages and the fun activities, simply seeing other singles that were committed, changing and focused on God was the greatest part of the conference. I sometimes see the kingdom through my own little life and my own little problems and forget that there are other people who are fired up to serve God. Seeing singles overcoming their challenges faithfully and doing something great for God was awesome. In my heart, I desired to be like these brothers and sisters who shared and preached their convictions. One single sister in particular shared her testimony during the communion service on Sunday and poignantly described the pain she experienced from not being married. More importantly she shared her surrender to God’s plan and her understanding that God was refining her to be the woman he wanted her to be. Simply seeing a single person just like me, (except for the fact she was a woman!) persevere and grow through her challenges encouraged me to do the same. There were many other singles who taught and preached over the weekend and provided a great example for us to follow. It’s great to be inspired by our leaders but even more so when our peers are doing the inspiring.
I thank God for the conference and the impact it has made on me. It only further convinces me that we worship a great and awesome God who seeks to meet our needs and fill our hearts with joy and will continue to do so until we make it to heaven.
Diane Hamlin:
I think one of the things that was the most impacting for me about the conference was the music. Probably one of my greatest costs in becoming a Christian was music - because, for me, it was a lifestyle that entailed drinking, drugs, and the dark side of life. What an incredible gift God gave me, 15 years later, to be a part of the choir, to be able to sing rock songs which glorified God! I am grateful for Brian Craig, whose vision it was two years ago to put on this conference for singles. I am very inspired by how devoted he is to bringing singles together through something we all share in common - music! Music, as a vehicle of praise, can go beyond words in expressing the passion and intensity of feelings we have towards God. And as we walk away from it all, we are left with the gift of the memories of the experience, singing songs to God.
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