"It makes little difference how fast you can run the 100 meters when the race is 400 meters long. Life is not a spr∫ it is a distance run, and it demands the kind of conditioning that enables people to go the distance."

--Gordon MacDonald

Whose heart doesn't leap at the sight of a beautifully

conditioned runner, effortlessly gliding along, stride-bystride, mile-by-mile? And what runner gets to this place without a thankless--and often lonely--regimen of strategy and self-denial?

Isn't this the perfect metaphor of what your heart is longing for--running life's race with intentionality and grace? With strength and focus?

Well, you can. Veteran pastor and best-selling author Gordon MacDonald says you must develop resilience--the courage and ability to get up when you fall, to keep running when you're bone-weary, and to keep your eye on the goal even in the murkiest moments. Using the backdrop of his own experiences as a champion runner, MacDonald demonstrates how resilient people

• Practice spiritual self-discipline to build stamina and grit;
• Know what's up ahead, what obstacles they will likely face; and
• Bond with special friends who share their commitment to finishing well.

Because he has also run many long, punishing laps in the tough race of life, MacDonald is uniquely qualified to coach and encourage you in developing that resilient spirit--to weather adversity, to finish what you start, and to never be satisfied with anything short of God's best for you.