Practice to Win

I really miss my job as Coach Washington some days. Over the past 9 years I have been a high school track coach, a JV girl's basketball coach, a personal trainer, and most recently the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the University of Evansville Women's basketball team. I love coaching! It is one of the most frustrating and rewarding job I know. Working with young people from all walks of life provides such a great opportunity to invest in their future and the future of our world.

One day a couple years ago, Jeremiah, Maiesha and I were walking over to watch the UE volleyball team practice. (Tyrone and I were advisors for the team.) Along the way, Jeremiah asked, "Mom, are they practicing to win?" I don't recall my response word for word, but I remember saying something like I hope so and then thinking what a profound question for a 4 year old boy to ask.

There are different dimensions to winning. The person or team with the best score at the end of a contest. Recording a personal best effort in your chosen activity or sport. Maybe it is never giving up even if you will finish in last place. It could be offering heartfelt congratulations to someone who has just beaten you. Doing your best even after you were denied a promotion. Perhaps it is walking in one direction when the crowd is going the other direction.

So do I practice to win each day? Do I extend patience and grace to my family? Am I willing to set aside status, popularity, or public preception for the sake of a lost soul who needs the saving grace of Jesus Christ just like me? Do I devote myself to doing whatever it is God has called me to do at the season of life? Am I willing to be uncomfortable in some way if it means helping my team get better? Am I willing to lay down my life for a friend?

Colossians 3:23-24 says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. "

What am I practice for?

The Beauty of His Creation

The weather has been absolutely fabulous the past few weeks so the kids and I took the opportunity to enjoy it this afternoon in our own front yard. Jeremiah picked up a leaf and asked if we could make a leaf rub (he is very into any kind of art right now). I said yes and suggested we go for a walk to collect some different kinds of leaves. I thought it would be a great project we could frame and hang in the new house. I get some good ideas from watching HGTV and now the DIY network.

Isn't it amazing how many colors, shapes and textures we can find in a few leaves. I had to marvel at God's attention to detail in something that we take for granted most days. Jeremiah learned about carbon dioxide and photosynthesis at school this week and how CO2 is "bad". Tyrone, being the scientist that he is, explained how awesome it is that God created plants since they need the carbon dioxide to survive and put off oxygen as a waste product. The very thing we need to survive. Incredible! God is so practical sometimes.

"God saw all that He had made and it was very good." Genesis 1:31 Thank you Lord for your provision build right into creation from the beginning.

Now I see You

When we are getting ready to purchase a new vehicle we like to look for styles and colors that we don't see a lot of. Strange enough once you buy that unique one or just spend time thinking about it, you begin to see that style and color all over the road. It is everywhere - you see them even when your not looking.

I have begun to realize, especially since starting this bog, that seeing God is the same way. When we are not looking for him, he is nowhere to be found. As soon as we start to intentionally search for his presents, he is everywhere, in everything. In fact, he might become all that we see. Hmmmm...

Jeremiah 29:13 says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." So when my heart just isn't in it or I stop looking for God's presence I shouldn't be surprise when I feel far from Him. The thing is He never moved - I did - so I can run back to his open arms waiting to squeeze me tight again.

I am so thankful that this week has been full of these moments and what a tremendous peace I have in the mist of the storm as I rest in the grip of grace (btw..."In the Grip of Grace" is a great Max Lucado book).

The Sun and the Moon

I was out walking with Maiesha, Lydia and our dog Buford tonight when Maiesha said she could see a star. It was light enough that only a couple were visible, but the half moon was shining bright. I started to explain to her how the moon reflects the sun's light so we can see in the dark of night. I realized what a great analogy that could be for us and Jesus.

Jesus is the sun. He is always shining! Thank goodness. We are the moon. We are created to reflect the Son's light in the darkness of this world. Sometimes we are turned in such a way that we only appear as 3-quarters, half, or just a sliver. On some occassions we have a total lunar eclipse and His light cannot be seen in us at all.

John 8:12 says, "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

I pray that I reflect His light in this dark world each day.

He Breathed Life into Me

I don't think I respond correctly to the majesty of God most days. Sure I have moments and time where I marvel at what he has created. At what he has done in my life. That's easy to do with a new baby as she reaches her "firsts". Sadly, more times I worry about my children, consider what others think, stew about our finances, or spend time trying to smooth this wrinkle on my forehead. On my worst days, I respond out of angry not love, eat junk food because I "earned it", or I ignore the needs of my husband. I could go on and on beating myself up, but that is what satan wants me to do so I lose sight of my Savior.

I am constantly telling the kids, the Bible says you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). When Jeremiah asked about the color of his skin. When Maiesha says she wants straight hair instead of curly. When they make bad choices or disobey. Do I stop and listen to God saying that to me and respond in a way that brings him glory?

While teaching children's church back at CFC I learned something profound that revolutionized the way I see my relationship with God. As we worked through the creation account, we saw that God spoke the world into being. The day and the night. The sun, moon and stars. The land and sea. The plants and animals. When we got to the creation of Man it says in Genesis 1:27, " So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." Then in Genesis 2:7 it says, "Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."

So I am created in the image of the Living God, and for me to have life he breathed His own breath into me. Now that is a reason to move over and let Him lead. If I think about God as my pro dance partner on Dancing with the Stars, I must keep my eyes on him so I stay on the beat. I must melt into his arms as we spin and turn around the dance floor so we are one with each step. I must listen for his instruction so I know when and where to step. He is the pro and I am the student.

So venture over to YouTube.com as I am doing right now and search for one of my favorite old hymn, "How Great Thou Art" and worship the creator who breathed life into Man so he could have a relationship with each of us through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

He must become greater;...

...I must become less. John 3:30 This verse was part of the sermon this morning. How do I become more of Jesus and less of myself in my marriage?

This week was a difficult one in our house. I assume every married couple has those. It is really easy to get focused on all the flaws and shortcomings of your spouse and see how every problem is some how his fault. But if Jesus is becoming greater and I less this perspective seems very worldly and just plain wrong. We spend too much time in this life trying to figure out "whose fault it is?" or "who is to blame?"

This morning I was reminded I must take responsibility for my daily walk and not point the finger elsewhere. If I am becoming more of Jesus and less of me, I focus on how I can be the wife God created me to be regardless if Tyrone puts his socks in the dirty clothes or leaves them on the living room floor. I focus on being the woman described in Proverbs 31:10-31.

"A wife of noble character who can find?    She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
¹² She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
...
²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
²⁶ She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
...
So back to the how do I put this into practice? I daily pray Psalm 25:4-5, "⁴ Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. ⁵ Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long. " Then I have to keep my eyes on Him, my mind on Him.

A Woman of Simplicity

I am the type of person who enjoys having a lot of different things going on. It's like putting a puzzle together - how can I get each piece fit into its proper place. The trouble is that becomes a high stress way of living and I can't get the day to day things done not to mention my job as wife and mom gets neglected. So the idea of moving to Fayetteville and having no job outside our home gave me a sense of relief. It also scared me to death!

Last fall my Ladies' Bible study - what's up my sisters in JC - did a book called "Becoming a Woman of Simplicity" by Cynthia Heald. It challenged me to not settle for doing good things, but focus on doing God things - the best that He has for me as a part of His Will (not mine). I began to realize as good as the part time jobs were and as much as I loved doing them, I was needed at home more than I was able to give. And right about that time we began to look at this job at UA for Tyrone.

Sometimes I need an extreme "shove" from God to get me going in the right direction and I see this move as just that. It has been very challenging to JUST be a wife and stay at home mom. It has also been very rewarding and I won't trade it for anything right now. I have been able to take the kids to the park and the library, keep the laundry done, make the beds, make lunch for Tyrone everyday, and the list could go on and on.

This summer Tyrone and I watched a video series by Andy Stanley called "Guardrails". He had his wife help on the discussion about marriage/family and she said something very profound that I use as my foundation for this new job I have. It comes from Nehemiah 6:3-4 - "so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” ⁴ Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer." Nehemiah was given permission by King Artaxerxes to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall around the city. He met great opposition from his own people and his enemies.

I meet great opposition every day about only being a wife and mom. Some of it comes from "good" things. Some is in my own mind. Some is from the enemy himself. I meet all of it with the response from Nehemiah. The job I am doing as a wife and mom is a great project and this is where God wants me to be right now. I know some day he will provide an opportunity for other things outside our home, but for now I must follow His lead and stay on my "wall".

This is easy to say and difficult to do so pray for me when God brings me to mind.