Power of the Stripes

It is a beautiful time of year for me.
It’s the culmination of Basketball for the year.
I love this game. Really, I LOVE this game. #lovelovelove

After an intense substate week, ending in a victory last night (which means we head to Manhatten for the State tournament), I realized something so clear to me this morning.

THE POWER OF THE STRIPES!

In most sports there are Referees, Officials, Umpires . . . those people who have the power to influence the game Hugely!

I have never blamed a referee for losing a game for us . . . I have yet to see that perfect game played; HOWEVER, i have taken pictures of those I deem absolutely unworthy to be holding a whistle and running at the same time as they are obviously not multi.taskers! #frustration

I also have never figured out why someone yelling in the stands about how bad dumb the referee is and how inadequate they are . . . I have never understood, why this fan would think that would be in our favor? After all, those stripe.wearers are human; with ears; and, um, yea! They do have the power to make that call, and that one and guess what, that one too if they choose. It’s not always black & white--is it a jump ball? travel? foul? Depends on their perspective when it happens.

So, are the Stripes powerful? Absolutely. Do they cause us to win? to lose? to stop trying? Absolutely NOT.

Ultimately, it is only by “His Stripes we are healed.” Is 53:6
Jesus Christ alone has the power to cause us to Win. He was in the game, He played it perfectly. He endured the hate, the loss, the shame, because He knew the Power of His stripes and He shed them freely for you & me. Praise God! We are healed. We are saved.
WE ARE VICTORIOUS!!!

Are there power in the stripes? Yes ma’am.
There is.
The power to defeat anything & everything so that when the buzzer sounds, the whistle blows, the time ends, our game continues on another court, in another gym and it will be Awesome!

#getinthegame

We win 2A Sub-State 46-43 over Berean! #takestate

Posted by Moundridge USD 423 on Saturday, March 5, 2016

55 seconds left in 3rd and we take the lead 34-32 over Berean! #makestate

Posted by Moundridge USD 423 on Saturday, March 5, 2016

Dear Mr. Heart Holder

Dear Mr.,

My sweet daughter has given you her heart--unknowingly perhaps, but genuinely and sincerely nonetheless. She has let you have a part of who she is and shaping who she is becoming because she trusts you, believes the good in you and trusts your belief in her.

You, my friend, are a heart.holder.

So, Dear Mr., please take special care of her heart as it is breakable, and it is bendable, but mostly because it is trusting and pure. Heart.holder, be gentle; move it carefully as you carry it with you; and, when you need to set it down or let it go, please do so with grace and love and peace.

And also, dear Mr.Heart.holder, when the time comes, if it comes and you need to send it on it's way, would you be so kind as to send it with wings to fly because you love her heart too?

You see, her heart was taught to "never give up, to never lose faith, to always have hope and to know that it can & will endure."

So, dear Mr. Heart.holder, you will always hold some of her heart because a heart once held is a heart truly loved.

Time will pass and life will move on, but Love sometimes stands still
and remembers
and there is a quiet beating only the heart can hear.

Listen closely in those moments and give thanks for the gift of holding a heart, knowing that every once in a while she is doing the same.

Signed,

`the heart bearer


1 Corinthians 13:6

In Sympathy

Dear Friend,

As you mourn, as you remember, as you hurt in your heart, know this:

Those who hold a loss share something special.
Those who carry a hope share love.

Those who love know it comes with a price...Praise God, He has paid it.

So, then, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope . . . Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.

In a short while . . . until then, let us encourage one another and build up one another to love & good works!

With Love & Sympthay,

your friend.

(1 Thess 4:13,17; Hebrews 10:24)

Grace Wins

It’s Sunday evening and I have only downloaded one song today from itunes, although I have previewed probably 20 and listened to them on youtube a good many times over! I am not quite sure why God did not give me a voice to sing, because I really, really love music and one of my favorite things to do is drive fast with my music loud singing my heart out! So, I downloaded Matthew West’s lastest song, “Grace Wins” today and I am just struck by this phrase,

“ . . .there’s a war between guild & grace and their fighting for a sacred space, but I’m living proof: Grace WINS every time! No more lying down in death’s defeat, now I’m rising up in victory singing “Hallelujah!” Grace wins EVERY time!

For the prodigal son, grace wins
For the woman at the well, grace wins
For the blind man and the beggar, grace wins
For always and forever, grace wins
For the lost out on the street, grace wins
For the worst part of you and me, grace wins
For the thief on the cross, grace wins
For a world that is lost
Grace Wins!”

Dear Jesus, thank You so much for Grace winning over anything & everything. Lord God, Father God, Savior God, Healer God, Redeeming God, Loving God, dear God . . . my heart comes to the throne of Grace asking for mercy for those who are hurting and hopeless . . . for those who see the odds so outweighing any hope they are close to giving up. God, I ask on their behalf, to restore their/mine trust and belief in who You are: God Almighty, the Great I AM, El Shaddai, Emamuel--God with us. Lord, I pray for little babies fighting to survive and their mommas & pappas fighting to be strong. Lord, I lift up grandmas & grandpas hurting for their children and grandchildren while fighting struggles of their own.

So, God, I know in my heart & mind how trustworthy You are . . . God, You CAN DO ANYTHING--DO IT LORD!

There is a popular song right now by Charlie Puth titled, “One Call Away” . . . Jesus, You are not even a prayer away and You will be there to save the day . . . regardless of how the day ends on this side of heaven. Jesus, let our hearts & minds be focused on things eternal while living in our mortality. We love You. We ask You for Your will to be done and the grace to accept what we might not understand. In Your sweet name, Jesus, we pray.

~amen

Sam Hunt Concert

First HS Volleyball Game

Ellen, so proud of you and your hard work.  We love watching you out yourself out there and try!  It takes guts and courage to work hard when there is an easy way...to try and miss when you could play safe and not even try...to fall on that floor going for the ball when you know that it going to hurt when you hit...

Wear your jersey proudly not because you are full of pride, but because you are part of something bigger than yourself!  Because "together" you WILL accomplish more.  I love you!   I hope you keep in mind it's only a game...play it well!  

Romance!

Helped out at Beth Moore's simulcast from Wichita, KS this Saturday--so awesome!  My soul was refreshed...was reminded I am a Mighty woman of God...Jesus needs to be my First Love...she started with Esau and the selling of his birthright because he did not value it...and ended with Jesus telling the church in the book of Revelation "I have this against you...you have forsaken your first love."  

Oh Jesus, romance me like only you can.  I love You so!!!  I need You so!!!  Swoon me and help me to keep You as my first love.  Thank You for the opportunity to serve You this weekend--I was honored and I loved it!!!