Angels Among Us....

It's 11:30pm on Tuesday night.
Wow....Have the last couple of days opened my eyes and made me appreciate how precious life is.

Saturday afternoon we were playing for the OVC Championship; Early Sunday morning my sister and new niece were in a battle for their life.

I've always believed in angels, but their is one incident where I know God sent this one angel to be with my sister and baby niece.

Saturday night while sitting in the waiting room at Baptist hospital, talking to my dad about how disappointed I was about losing in overtime in the Championship game, I felt this weird urge that something was really wrong with my sister. When we finally got to go back and see her, she had the most amazing nurse; her name was Deidre. She was so calming and optimistic about the whole situation. When dad and I finally were about to head home for the night, we could both tell that Deidre was frustrated because nobody could quite pinpoint  exactly was going on with my sister.

At 4:50am my mom came in and woke me up and said we were having a baby. I knew this wasn't the greatest of news because baby Maddie wasn't expected to be here until around April 20th. Tears filled my eyes and I hit my knees and prayed.

It was amazing how God had everything planned out to take my sister and my new niece in His hands.
What was a very traumatic experience ended with 2 miracles of life.

When I was walking into the hospital this morning, I ran into Deidre. I gave her a hug and told her she was an angel. She was on call when everything happened and was there the whole time. She got tears in her eyes and told me that she had to speak to the Lord because of the seriousness of the situation.

While we were sitting in the hospital room tonight, there as a knock on the door. It was Diedre. She was not in scrubs but was in regular clothes. She said she wanted to come by one last time to check and make sure everything was ok with mom and the baby. I gave her another hug. We all just cried together. When Deidre left, I asked her to write down her address because I wanted to keep in touch and send her a thank you card. She was truly an angel. When she left the room,  I looked down at the piece of paper where she had written her information down. Her last name was CLARK.....
I cried my eyes out and said wow!!!

Psalm 91:11
For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

So I encourage all of you to look for the angels in your life. They are right here among us. God's sends them to us in His own time to protect us, love us, teach us and guide us. Some are only here for a short time; some may be there your whole life and some may be sent to protect you in a time of need.  But pay attention to why they are sent to you and be thankful for the precious gift of life that they bring us. They come to you and me in our darkest hour; to show us how to live, teach us how to give and guide us with the light of love.

Life is a precious gift and I've learned more than ever the past few days how precious it is. The game of life is much more important than sport or winning in anything. We are only in a scrimmage here on Earth. For the real game will be won when we get to be on God's Team in heaven.

Be Second each and every day. Be an angel to someone in their time of need.

In closing, I will share with you the lyrics of one of my favorite songs.

"Angels Among Us" by Alabama

Here is link to song.....Listen it's great!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7TpMejadLo

I was walking home from school, on a cold winter day
Took a shortcut through the woods, and I lost my way
It was getting late, and I was scared and alone
But then a kind old man, took my hand, and led me home
Mama couldn't see him, oh but he was standing there
And I knew in my heart, he was the answer to my prayers

Oh I believe there are, angels among us
Sent down to us, from somewhere up above
They come to you and me, in our darkest hours
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give
To guide us with the light of love

When life held troubled times, and had me down on my knees
There's always been someone, to come along, and comfort me
A kind word from a stranger, to lend a helping hand
A phone call from a friend, just to say, I understand
But ain't it kind of funny, at the dark end of the road
That someone lights the way, with just a single ray of hope

Oh I believe there are, angels among us
Sent down to us, from somewhere up above
They come to you and me, in our darkest hours
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give
To guide us with the light of love

They wear so many faces, show up in the strangest places
To grace us with their mercy, in our time of need

Oh I believe there are, angels among us
Sent down to us, from somewhere up above
They come to you and me, in our darkest hours
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give
To guide us with the light of love
To guide us with a light of love

Put me in Coach.....I'm ready to play!

It’s March 1st. For all you basketball fans this is the best time of the year known as “March Madness.” At some point in all of our lives, we have all been part of a team. Teamwork is an essential part of life. At a young age we learn to be part of a team. We play on the playground, try out for junior pro leagues, join different groups in high school, face new challenges in college and join the “real world” where most of the time we are part of a business team in our particular line of work. We have all wanted to belong, fit in and be picked first. There is a certain yearning inside all of our souls that wants to be part of something bigger than ourselves. 

Webster’s dictionary defines “winning” as gaining victory. In our society today sometimes an emphasis on “winning” and being successful overshadows our families, our education and our quality of life. Athletes, business professionals and even young kids spent countless hours, money and blood, sweat and tears in order to win. Winning at all costs has become a big part of our culture. Many times we put more emphasis on playing time and winning than on the values that being part of a team can teach us.

Being part of a team requires a big investment of time, responsibility and trust. Successful teams benefit from the dedication and devotion of individuals to the betterment of the team. But, behind every great team lies a great coach.

Isn’t it a great feeling to know that we have a great head coach every day of our lives? Each day here on Earth is our game that we get a chance to play. He has given us a game plan to follow and if we do, we win the greatest championship of all…..eternal life with Jesus Christ in Heaven! Are you on God’s team? He has taught us the importance of being a member of His team. He doesn’t promise that each game is going to be easy and that we are going to win every game, but He does promise never to leave us and to be with us during the wins and losses of this life.

There will be times in the game of life when you feel like you need a sub. You feel like you can’t compete and can’t contribute to your team’s success. We all run out of gas and out of energy. It’s ok to call for a sub and sit on the bench for a minute, catch your wind and get back in the game. God is the substitute we all need. Romans 3:23 tells us” that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God.” He is always there when we are out of breath or make a mistake.

Where do you stand in this game of life? I’ve learned that we can’t win on our own playing abilities.  We need good teammates, a strategic game plan and the ultimate Head Coach. Being part of God’s team requires loyalty, trust, faith and hard work. There will be times when we get discouraged, yet we must trust that God knows when we need a timeout, a water break or constructive criticism. In this game of life there will be tough losses, heartaches and tears during the journey. This is where we learn who we are and learn to persevere. Are you ready to win? Are you ready for the big game? How hard have you been working? Just like any team, being on God’s team takes commitment and sacrifice. If we give Him all the glory in every game of every day then we will be victorious!

Are you ready to play? Don’t settle for sitting on the bench…..It’s time to win God’s way!

So be a good teammate, help others join God’s team, lift each other up and always be ready to play!!

Verse of the Week:

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

 

 

God’s Hall of Fame: Coach John Wooden

Your name may not appear down here,

 In this world’s hall of fame,

 In fact you may be so unknown,

 That no one knows your name!

The Oscars here may pass you by

 And neon lights of blue,

 But if you love and serve the Lord,

 Then I have news for you.

This hall of fame is only good

 As long as time shall be,

 But keep in mind, God’s Hall of fame,

 Is for eternity!

To have your name inscribed up there

 Is greater yet by far,

 Than all the Halls of Fame down here

 And every man-made star.

This crowd on earth may soon forget

 The heroes of the past,

 They cheer like mad until you fall,

 And that’s how long you last.

But God, He never does forget,

 And in His Hall of Fame

 By just believing in his Son,

 Inscribed you’ll find your name.

I tell you, friend, I wouldn’t trade

 My name however small,

 That written there beyond the stars

 In that celestial hall,

For any famous name on earth

 Or glory that they share;

 I’d rather be unknown here,

 And have my name up there.

 

What is your G.P.S.?

In today’s society it’s so convenient for us to find where we are going. We have our G.P.S. stowed in our glove compartments or we push a button and ask Siri how to get to where we want to go. There is no more printing off directions or buying a road map to plan out the family vacation anymore. G.P.S. systems have greatly enhanced our ability of navigating around the world. But what happens when it fails us? What happens when we get lost? What happens when we reach a crossroad in our life? What happens when we need someone to help us find our direction? That’s where we need God’s G.P.S. (God’s Positioning System).

We have all been in a position where we feel inadequate, where we feel like a failure or where we just feel lost in what God’s plan is for us. I know personally I have felt all these things. We meet new people, get new jobs, move off to better and brighter things and then something happens....we feel unhappy, tired and unmotivated. We want a road map now; we pursue a quick fix instead of waiting patiently and praying for where God’s road may lead us. 

Psalm 32:8 says: I will instruct you and show you the way to go; with my eye on you, 

                             I will give counsel

God wants to be our road map. He wants to be on this journey of life with us. So seek His guidance. Look and feel His presence speaking to you and which road you should you take. I am a firm believer in the saying “Everything happens for a reason.” We meet people, lose friends, get divorced, lose big games, hit the winning shot, strike out, lose a job, get injured, fail a big test, land a big job, not be able to have kids, develop cancer, pass that big test, beat cancer, win a championship, finish last or fall flat on our face. But in God’s time everything happens for a reason and sometimes it is down the road before we ever realize His reasons. So be thankful for the blessings, be thankful for the heartaches and be thankful for the this life we are fortunate to live. God has a road map for each of us. Listen to His nudges, pay attention to His signs and follow His path for you. 

I encourage all of you to find your G.(God’s) P.(Positioning) S.(System). Trust in God that He knows best and lean on Him in good and bad times. This is one of my favorite quotes:

“You only get one shot at life so make it count. Make it last. Make it worth every heartbreak, every smile, every tear, every memory.  This is your life, your destiny, your fate.. this is your only chance, your one chance to make a difference in the universe, when you are gone, your life is over.. thats it, there's no more re-runs. this is the main show and you’re the star.”

Enjoy your journey and the next time you are lost: Grab your G. P. S. (The good Book)!!

Verse of the Week: 

Psalm 143:10 says: Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May your gracious 

                                 Spirit lead me on level ground. 

Song of the week: “God’s Will” by Martina McBride

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfYqPh5Pf0Y

Tournament Time....

For my coaching friends: A little something to share with your team...

My grandmother gave me this years ago. I always like to read it to my team. We often forget that basketball teaches us so much about life. If we give to the game, it will always give back to us. Have pride in your school, your community, your family and yourself and all those you represent. Always give your best in all that you do. Hope you enjoy this and feel free to share it with your team.  We should all be thankful we get to play and coach this great sport that we love. Sometimes we take it for granted. Best of luck to all of you in the post season!

Dear "Your team name",

     When you play tonight, play your best. Play your hardest. But most of all ...play for me. You say you will, you say did, but you're wrong. Encourage, don't discourage. Smile, don't complain. Most importantly, look ahead-not behind.

     When you play tonight, love your teammates. Love the ones that never do well, love the ones that are always the best. Love the person who loses the game for you. Love the person who gets all the cheers and compliments. Remember that I love them anyway and you should try to love them too.

     When you play tonight, remember how blessed you are. You may ache all over, but it will go  away. There are people who feel that way their whole lives. And there are people who can't feel. You may get frustrated at seeing a losing score on the scoreboard, but remember you can see. You may want to cry when your coach gets on you, but try to say thanks because you can hear. When you feel excited, when you feel hurt, remember these are gifts I gave you that compliment each other and that makes life a fascinating experience.

     When you play tonight, remember there are people watching you. That's a scary though, but it's important. Be careful how you live, you may the only Bible some people read. People notice when you hug instead of yell, and when you win or lose well. Someone you've never even met may come away learning more for your team about life than about the sport.

     When you play tonight, be humble. Don't try to the best, try to help the person next to you be the best. Don't look for glory, you won't find it. It will come when you aren't seeking it. Don't brag, don't flaunt your talents. Quietly work, think and try to improve. Make yourself perfect before working on your teammates.

     And this last request...though it comes last, in my eyes it is the most important....HAVE FUN!!!
In competition it's easy to forget why you started playing sports in the beginning. Ten years from now it won't be as easy to remember who won or lost as it will be to remember if you enjoyed the sport. You don't know when you'll be able to play again, so go out there and use your abilities and love every minute of it.

     Love winning because it is easy to love, but recognize that losing makes you become better. Love jumping, running, rebounding, and cheering. All over the world tonight there are people lying in bed dreaming of being able to do those things. And when it comes right down to it, that's what really matters, that you CAN do those things. It's not whether you win or lose, it's the fact that you are gifted, skilled and talented and win or lose....you STILL will be!

     So when you play tonight, remember me. I'll be watching you. So put up a good fight. I believe you can win and I hope you think so too. Love what you are doing and always remember to laugh!

                                                                                                                       Love,
                                                                                                                        God

Trust the Process

Trust the process:

It’s quite amazing what we can learn from kids. As many of you know my family and I are avid Vandy fans. My nephew Parker has continued the tradition and loves his black and gold when he is not cheering for Alabama....his dad is a huge AL fan. 

He loves going to the football games and can quote James Franklin’s post game locker room sessions like you can’t believe. In one of his post game talks to the team, he talked about Trusting the Process. This phrase has stuck out in my mind about many different aspects of our lives....sports, friendships, education, jobs and our relationship with God. 

Our short lives here on Earth are a process. Starting when we are born, we must learn to crawl before we walk, walk before we run. This is a process and doesn’t happen over night. When we begin our long journey in education, we first go to kindergarten. We learn our colors, shapes, to share and get along with others. As we grow older our processes become more advanced. We have to learn to be on our own, learn to succeed, to fail, to overcome disappointments, to learn to let go and move on, to stand up for what we believe and to basically learn how to pursue life, love and happiness.

One of my favorite athletes growing up was Michael Jordan. He just celebrated his 50th birthday. He is quoted saying  “I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”  Basketball was such a big part of my life this was one of my favorite quotes. Such is life as well; If you never take risks, if you never fail or if you never step out of your comfort zone you never truly experience the “process” of this short life. 

So life is a big process: we all maintain some sort of faith that we are training and working towards the right process for ourselves. The past few years have been a struggle for me. I’ve struggled with God’s purpose for me. Where does He want me to be? What is the big picture for me? Where is my process taking me? This life is so short: As Kenny Chesney says “Don’t Blink.” The past few years I have come to the realization that our Life process is to put our faith in God and trust in Him in all that we do. He wants to help us with the big decisions of our lives. So talk to him and ask His opinion. Phillipians 4: 6-7 says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” His answer may not always be what we want, but in the long run if we have faith His outcome will far outweigh anything we ever imagined. 

So what is your process? Do you trust and have faith that God’s plan is much better than your plan? It took me a few years to grasp this concept. He knows much more about my journey than I do. So this week: Have faith and “Trust the Process.” God never promised that life would be easy, but if we believe in Him and honor Him in all that we do, our rewards in heaven will be much more than we could ever accomplish or gain here on Earth. 

Have a great week and Trust God’s process!!

Verse of the week:

Psalm 18:2 “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”

Song of the week: In God’s Time by Randy Houser

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71nKSAkvRos

Dating Jesus

Since this is Valentines Day Week.....here is a little thought about relationships.

Relationships are some of the most complicated areas in our short life. Friendships and dating often involve much of our time and energy. Some can be negative and some can be positive. I feel very blessed to have some great friends in my life. As I get older, the statement "good friends are hard to find" becomes more and more true. Trust and communication are two of the most important aspects of relationships. Sometimes we get so caught up in finding the right mate, fitting in and finding friends that we neglect the one person who loves us unconditionally and wants to be in a relationship with us.....God. He is always trustworthy and always ready to listen to us.

God doesn't judge our past, he doesn't judge our looks, he doesn't care how much money we make and he doesn't care what our status may be. He is never late for a date and always on time when we need him. He has given us so many gifts that we take for granted each day. He does not intend for us to devote all of our time and energy in pleasing our friends or significant others. He wants us to "get to know Him." So plan a date with God this week. Talk to Him, thank Him, Praise Him for all the blessings that He gives us every day. He gave us the greatest gift of all.....He loved us so much He died on the cross for our sins. Now that my friends is "Love."

We all have a choice. You can accept God's invitation to have a close relationship with Him or you can just continue to wander around in a lukewarm, comfortable environment and proclaim you have the truth. But that kind of truth will not set you free! Get to know Him....He is waiting! Matthew 11:28-29

When I don't listen to Christian radio, those of you know me know I love country music. There is a song out right now called "Beer with Jesus." I don't particularly agree with the title, but the song has some really great lyrics. Perhaps you can substitute "Coke" or "Tea" for the beer.  Here is a link to the song.

http://www.cmt.com/videos/thomas-rhett/855115/beer-with-jesus.jhtml

So plan a date with Jesus! This Valentine's Day Jesus will be my Valentine because He loves me much more than anyone on this Earth ever well!

Have a great week!


Verse of the week:

Proverbs 8:17   I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.

Have you seen God today?

We as human beings often see what we pay attention to. If our vision is focused on negative then usually all we see is negative. If we focus on the positive then usually we tend to pay attention to the positive aspects our lives. 

So where is God in our every day lives? I was talking to my sister the other day about the miracle of a child being born. How can you not believe in God when knowing that another human being is being shaped and formed inside a mother's womb? Arms, legs, a stomach and a brain are all being developed. This is a miracle that only God could control. 

But still we often ask ourselves....Where is God? He is prevalent in our busy every day lives. It may be a rainbow, snow, a beautiful sunset or even standing and watching the ocean. My favorite place on Earth is the beach. I love standing in awe watching and listening the sound of the ocean. It is there I find peace and know that when the tide sweeps beneath my feet and the sand nestles between my toes that God is truly amazing. One of my best friends and I have a saying every time we sit in our chairs that "This is the life." You can see Him everywhere....

The past couple of years I have started going hiking. Nature is one the most intriguing views of God's creation. The trees, sounds and views generate a feeling of closeness of God. To sit and listen to the waterfalls and listen to all the different sounds allows His presence to be felt. 

So where is God in your life? Look around at all the blessings He has given you. Focus on the good things and worry less about the bad things. One of the most important callings of our Christian faith is to let people see God in us. One of my favorite sayings is "that you may be the only Bible some people ever read." Scary though....but so true. Let your "lifesong" be pleasing to Him. Be kind, smile and try to be pleasant in all that you do, for you never know who may be watching. Don't be afraid to let your light shine!!!  So the next time you are driving to work, going for a run, visiting a hospital, talking to a friend, competing in a game or looking up at the stars....Look for God! He is everywhere!

In closing, I want to share one of my favorite songs with you. It is George Strait's I Saw God Today. 

Below is the link to the song...sometimes we don't look for Him near as often as we should. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q06AvQF5NOw

I encourage all of you to look for God in your every day life!!! 

Hope all of you have a blessed week!

                                                       I saw God today......Did you????????

Until next time...."God is 1st

                            Family and Friends are 2nd

                            And I Am 3rd!" Gayle Sayers