Be Like Mike

Michael Jordan was, arguably, one of the greatest athletes to ever play the game of basketball. On June 11, 1997, Jordan, alongside his team the Chicago Bulls, played against the Utah Jazz in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals. The Bulls ended up winning that game in grand fashion. Overall, it wasn't that special of a game, except for one thing. Michael Jordan played the entire game sick as a dog! High fever, chills, sick to his stomach and weak as a kitten. Despite his trainer telling him there was no way he could play, Jordan got out of bed and hit the court. 

Last weekend, I competed in Camp Gladiator Games Finals, in Austin. It is an event that I have participated in for the last three years. Two of those years, I have qualified for Finals. Each year, I train for this event. It is hard. It takes a lot out of you...physically and mentally. It is designed to stretch your athletic limits. Before Camp Gladiator, I had no athletic limits, as I was never an athlete. I can not say that anymore. *smirk*

The week before the event, I woke up with a nasty cough. I went to the doctor, in an attempt to bring it to an end sooner, rather than later. I had Finals coming up and I needed to be healthy. Unfortunately, the medicine didn't really make much of an impact and when I arrived in Austin, I was still suffering with an upper respiratory infection and sinusitis.  I had no idea how I was going to be able to perform all of events required for Finals, but I was NOT going to let my team down. Earlier in the week, my husband and my trainer, at separate times, each told me the story of Michael Jordan and "The Flu Game". They said he played one of his best games, even though he was sick. They both told me I needed to be like Michael Jordan. That night, as I was laying in bed, I did the only thing I knew to do...pray. I prayed that God would take away all of the sinus pressure and that He would give me the lung capacity I needed to do my best the next day. I prayed for His divine, supernatural intervention. I told Him that I would give Him every ounce of the glory when it was all over! I prayed the same thing throughout the day on Saturday. Every time we finished an event, I would thank Him and ask Him for "a little bit more". 

"One down, four to go, Lord." "Two down, three to go, Father."...and, on it went.

As the day wore on and the events were completed, we began to check the scores. By the end of the five events, we had finished first place in four and second place in the fifth. Not only was my team performing well, *I* was performing well. I coughed and wheezed through the day, but I performed well!!  God answered my prayers and gave me EVERYTHING I needed to compete. He is in the business of answering prayers and He answered mine, in a big way! When I think back on everything we did on Saturday, I have no idea how I got through it. Physically, the odds were against me, but my God and Father heard my cries and gave me the strength to do what I needed to do. HE GETS ALL THE GLORY!!!

Saturday evening, my team was announced as the first place team, in our division, and would be moving on to compete in Super Finals, with the top four teams. I took the first leg of the race. As I stood on my mark, waiting for the signal for the race to begin, I prayed one last time. "Lord, just a little bit more, please...just a little bit more." I took a deep breath, coughed one last time, and took to the course. Our team won with a very large lead, making us the #1 Camp Gladiator team in the nation!!! It was an amazing moment, to end an amazing day. That is a memory that I will have and cherish for a lifetime. It makes me emotional when I think about it. I accomplished something that I never thought I would accomplish, under difficult circumstances. I trusted the Lord, asked for His help, and He answered. As a side note, when I woke up on Sunday morning, I felt just as bad as I had been feeling the entire week before. He gives us what we need at the exact time we need it!

The lesson here is that God desires to be a part of our daily lives. He wants to be there for the big things and the little things....ALL the things. He loves His children with an everlasting love. I have felt that love and provision many times in my life, but last Saturday was an extraordinary example of what MY Lord is all about. 

Be like Mike, with God in control? Don't mind if I do...

If Being Abnormal Is Wrong...

...I don't want to be right!

As Christians, we are called to be "set apart". ~ Psalm 4:3 You can be sure of this: The LORD set apart the godly for himself. The LORD will answer when I call to him.

When we stand on our Christian values and principles, as laid out for us in the bible, the world may see us as abnormal. To the world, doing things "God's way" isn't normal. Unfortunately, that is the time we are living in.

Recently, I had someone tell me that because I was standing firm on my biblical values, I am not normal. I had many emotions run through me when I heard that, as he said it more that once. What I have determined is that sadly he is right. Living a biblically based life is not the norm these days. Desiring God's will, and striving to do things God's way, has become the exception, not the rule. What a sad realization that has been for me. People, even ones that claim they are Christians, have gotten so far into the ways of the world, that God's perfect plan doesn't play a part in their thinking, planning, or daily life..."normal" daily life.

I am here to say that if this is the case, I AM PROUD TO BE ABNORMAL!! Abnormal = Special

The Almighty God is the designer, author, perfecter, provider and finisher of my faith, and my life. HE has the perfect plan for me. I pray daily, often times hourly, that Holy Spirit will guide my every thought, word, plan, and decision.

I am a sinner. I am also completely and totally forgiven! Thank you, Jesus!

Be "abnormal" in a "normal" world? Don't mind if I do...

 

My Mug Runneth Over

This week, I paid my last respects to a Godly man that had a huge influence on my childhood.  He and his family are very special to me.  It was a sad, yet joyous occasion, as we know, without a doubt, that he is spending eternity in Heaven, and we will see each other again.

During his son's eulogy of him, friendship was mentioned.  The importance of true, real, long lasting, friendships.  He called them "ceramic mug" friends.  At that moment, the woman sitting next to me reached over, grabbed my hand, and gave it a squeeze.  I returned the squeeze, as tears filled my eyes.  The woman was my oldest, dearest, most true, longest lasting, "ceramic mug" friend.  The son went on to say, that friendships like these are rare, and very hard to come by.  The mutual hand squeeze was a recognition and verification of that fact...by both of us.

You see, she and I have been friends for getting close to 40 years (YIKES!).  No matter how far apart we live, whether we went to different schools, single, married, divorced, no kids, kids...it has never mattered.  No time or space has been able to break this "ceramic mug" friendship.  We haven't always been in the forefront of each other's lives, but we are never far from each other, in our minds.  It's the kind of relationship that picks right up where it leaves off...every time.  

I've had lots of friends over the years  Most come and go.  The ones that last, that see you through thick and thin, that laugh when you laugh, cry when you cry, and never, EVER judge...those are the ones to hold on to.  They may just be there for a season, but it will be a friendship that you will reflect on fondly.  Hopefully, you have at least one friend like this.  I am honored to have a few.

As I sat there, my hand clasped tightly in hers, tears flowed down my cheeks.  I found myself overcome with gratefulness.  I am so thankful that God saw fit to bring us together, all those years ago.  Given our circumstances in that moment, I did not tell her my feelings.  I should have.  As a matter of fact, I think I will tell her right this minute.  Gotta go!

Fill up my "ceramic mug" friend with my apprecation and gratitude?  Don't mind if I do...

And...Scene

This week I am moving out of my apartment.  In a couple of days, as a matter of fact, and although my future is bright and exciting, I find myself strangely nostalgic and slightly sad at the impending move.  I actually teared up earlier, when I started thinking about it.

I have lived in this place for almost four and a half years.  That's a long time.  Much has happened here.  Some good, some not so good, some amazing, some horrible...

The truth of the matter is, I found myself in this place.

When I moved here I was lost...so very lost.  My life was changing in every sense of the word.  It was a change that was needed, necessary, and of my doing, however, I was completely alone...and lost.  Over the years in this apartment, I have laughed, cried, oh...so many tears, fought, loved, lost, faced things, worked through things, let things go, repaired relationships, repaired myself, prayed...more hours than I could count, sat alone...sometimes by choice, sometimes not, felt loss, finally felt loved and truly loved in return, found friends, found a career...found MYSELF!

In three more days, I will leave this place.  I will leave behind the negativity and the loss that I experienced here.  The memories will remain, but hopefully, in time and with new surroundings, the bad ones will fade.  I will take with me the happiness I found, the future that I discovered, and best of all, I will take me.  The new me.  The best me I have ever been.  I will take me and find the future that God has laid out for me and my family.  I can not wait to see what this new chapter will bring and the life I am about to embark on.

Thank you for the memories, apartment....it's been real.  Now, I gotta go.  My future awaits me.  *Cue more tears...*

Close this chapter and open the book of my future?  Don't mind if I do...

Turn, Turn, Turn...

 

 To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn) 

There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn) 

And a time to every purpose, under Heaven 

I have always loved this song, and the lyrics are so true. There is a season for everything in our lives...jobs, hobbies, love, good times, bad times, hard times, friendships...

I have been experiencing the turning of a season in my own life lately. God brings people into your life for a reason. Every single person that comes in touch with you, is there for a purpose. Some are there for a long, extended period, others are fleeting. Regardless of the amount of time they are in your life, make no mistake, there was a reason. We are on this earth, by God's design, to help one another. To be there to laugh, cry, be angry, be sad, encourage, protect, teach, learn, be still...all with one another.

Friendships are important. To know you have someone that you can count on, and that they will return the favor, is one of life's greatest gifts. A true friend that loves you in spite of your shortcomings. No friendship is perfect...we are all human, afterall. However, it's how you come out of the imperfect times that really show the strength of a friendship. I have very few of these friends, but the ones that I do have, I know, without a shadow of a doubt, they will ALWAYS be there for me, and have been. I cherish these.

There are times that the season of a friendship comes to an end. Sometimes people grow apart, or they can't/don't get past one of those imperfect times. Either way, when the season of a friendship turns, it can be painful...it HAS BEEN painful.

Here's the good news: Because God designed us to have seasons in our lives, He usually doesn't end a season without starting a new one. He has done that for me this week, and I love how He takes care of ALL of the details of life. This week I have strengthened friendships that I already had formed, took a friendship to a much deeper level, and made a new friend, that I hope and pray will have a very long season in my life.

Where there is sorrow, confusion, sadness and hurt feelings, The Lord turns it in to joy. Thank you, Lord, for meeting my needs before I even know I have them, and changing the seasons of my life, in Your timing.

Praise Him through the turning of my seasons? Don't mind if I do...

 

"Timing Is Everything"

Waiting.  Patiently waiting.
Well, "patiently" might be stretching some.
It says: His timing is not mine...
For my Prince Charming, I have been waiting to come.

"Your will be done.", I've prayed,
Fervently and from deep down.
You knew the desires of my heart...
Where and when will my love be found?

"Trust in Me, in all of your life.",
He continuously cries.
"It will happen in MY time.
It is not for you to ask 'why?'"

He fixed my job.  He fixed my money.
Then He began working on my heart.
In strolled a cowboy, with God at his center.
In the blink of an eye, the rest of my life would start.

"Timing is everything.", I've always said.
Until now, I'm not sure I believed.
The beginning of my future started that day.
My heart, he completely thieved.

Thank you, Lord, for blessing me,
And knowing more than I do.
Your timing brought me Tober.
I will never stop thanking You.


Enjoy God's perfect timing? Don't mind if I do...

The Answer Is...

Why is it that when we pray for something specific, when God's answer is yes, we have a tendency to question it...especially if it's something that you have prayed about for a long time, and it's something that you want?

God's plan is to give us the desires of our heart, if we delight in Him. He also tells us that His ways and plans are not the same as ours, and they are much better (of course, I'm paraphrasing here). Given that, who are we to not believe when His answer is yes?

Sometimes His answer is immediately "yes". Sometimes it is "no"...immediately. Other times it is "not right now". I have been in a "not right now" time for a year. I have been praying diligently about a certain thing since last January. Up until now, I haven't gotten a yes. I was beginning to wonder if He would bring me the desire of my heart. Regardless of my desires, ultimately His will is what I want for my life. I pray exactly that...every, single time.

I believe God is answering my prayers. I am having a difficult time wrapping my brain around it, but again, who am I to question? He is giving me the "yes" I have been waiting for. He is faithful. The blessings start now. The praise continues...now and forever.

See the yes as a YES and accept it? Don't mind if I do...